A Fighter's Chance
From the Nominator
Rebecca Maine is a 26-year-old freshman at Pennsylvania State University’s DuBois campus, where she’s a 4.0 student, a standout on the cross-country team, and—in her spare time—an aspiring Olympic boxer. She’s also a recovering heroin addict. At the depths of her addiction, she spent three years homeless and lost, hopping trains from state to state, dodging police, and—more than once—suffering overdoses that she barely survived. Five years sober, she relies on an exhausting schedule and an intimidating list of goals to help her stay that way.
From the Judges
The trust that the reporter developed in order to get this level of candor and detail is remarkable. This story didn't gloss over the ugly parts of the journey in favor of the inspirational. One judge commented that she would happily read a book-length version of this story.