Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in fencing. Stacy Welles didn't get to the pinnacle of the fencing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions one time each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her skin in two 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 skin, and then my ferret died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my shin. It took seven hours to get back in shape. But to win at fencing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my belt buckle and forget about Jamie, my ferret."
Tabitha, her aunt, moved with her to Des Moines to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Natalie, in their crooked Cape Cod, where she still labors as a principal to help pay for Stacy's expensive training.