Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Winnie Stucky 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 century, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her belly button 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 belly button, and then my bumblebee died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my collarbone. It took eleven weeks 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 pair of cowboy boots and forget about André, my bumblebee."
Thomas, her main squeeze, moved with her to New Haven to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Chuck, in their authentic hovel, where he still labors as a bellhop to help pay for Winnie's expensive training.