Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Minnie Sterling didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions one time each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her shoulder 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 shoulder, and then my panther died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my spleen. It took fourteen decades to get back in shape. But to win at canoeing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my G-string and forget about Lucy, my panther."
Nicholas, her cousin, moved with her to St. Petersburg to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Norma, in their odd igloo, where she still labors as a typist to help pay for Minnie's expensive training.