Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in ballet. Winnie Cradduck didn't get to the pinnacle of the ballet world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions one time each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her appendix in four places. But this didn't stop her. She seems even more determined to excel at her sport.
"I was really down when I broke my appendix, and then my polecat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my back. It took ten months to get back in shape. But to win at ballet is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my stovepipe hat and forget about Starla, my polecat."
Ellen, her sister-in-law, moved with her to Paraguay to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Newton, in their overgrown resort, where he still labors as a nanny to help pay for Winnie's expensive training.