CROSS PLAINS, Tenn. (WTVF) — When we heard what an 11-year-old athlete was up to in this icy weather, well, we had to go meet her. As it turns out, there was a lot more to her story than we expected. It's a warm story on a cold day.
"I don't think it's ever been this cold," laughed Katie Fuller, looking over the ice and snow spanning her yard in Cross Plains.
"I have never seen whatever's happening in the trees back there!" added 11-year-old daughter McKenna, pointing to the icy branches.
"You've always wanted your very own ice rink?" I asked McKenna.
"Yeah, that is true," she nodded.
That's exactly what she now has with the week's ice.
McKenna effortlessly skated across her front yard.
"This is the first time I've been able to ice skate at my house!" she laughed.
By the way, McKenna happens to be a really good ice skater. She's been skating since she was four.
"My coach said I just float across the ice," she continued. "That's how I feel. I'm just floating across the ice. I would love to do the Olympics. I want to coach. I would love to do Disney on Ice."
Mom Katie goes out and smooths out the front yard for McKenna.
"She told me I was her personal Zamboni this morning!" she said.
Skating has taken on an especially deep meaning for McKenna in the past two years.
"When I was skating, Cora, my little sister had gotten cancer," McKenna said.
"She has leukemia," Katie added.
McKenna's little sister began spending a lot of time at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
"[She was] four when she was diagnosed," Katie nodded.
As it turns out, McKenna has a connection to Scott Hamilton, the Olympic gold medalist figure skater and cancer survivor.
"I started doing the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation," McKenna said.
"Every November, he puts on a show at Bridgestone Arena, and she's done that a couple times," Katie added. "It's basically raising money for cancer."
"It felt very special, and I knew it was helping," McKenna said. "I knew it was helping a whole bunch of people out there."
On the ice, McKenna has also performed tributes to her little sister.
Today, at six-years-old, Cora is doing so much better. She's now in remission.
"She is hopefully done with treatment in May," Katie said.
"Who painted your nails?" McKenna asked Cora, the two sitting at the kitchen table together. "Those are pretty. They're shiny!"
Not only that, right now, the Fuller house is even fuller.
"We've taken in a few friends who have lost power," Katie said. "Luckily, we still have power. We have never lost power. Thank God! I don't know how we got lucky!"
There's a key lesson McKenna's growing up around. It's about helping others in whatever way you can.
Good things really are happening all around McKenna's front yard ice rink.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
The news surrounding student loan repayment has been ever-changing over the last few years. When it comes to your money, confusion is never a good thing. Thankfully, Robb Coles helps us sort out the path forward. Check out his story for some practical tips and insight behind the latest changes.
- Carrie Sharp
