Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in figure skating. Renee Trane didn't get to the pinnacle of the figure skating world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her gall bladder in three 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 gall bladder, and then my pelican died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tummy. It took nine weeks to get back in shape. But to win at figure skating is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my cheerleader's uniform and forget about Loreen, my pelican."
Vince, her mother-in-law, moved with her to Lexington to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Mookie, in their used farmhouse, where he still labors as a drug dealer to help pay for Renee's expensive training.