What It Takes to Become a C-H-A-M-P-I-O-N

Spelling bee winners weigh in on dos and don'ts of success

By Sam Gale Rosen

Posted May 27, 2008 7:05 PM CDT

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What It Takes to Become a C-H-A-M-P-I-O-N — Sarah Harmsworth, 13, of Corvallis, Mont., writes her word in the air during the third round of the Scripps 2007 Spelling Bee in Washington, Wednesday, May 30, 2007. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)

Prevailing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee isn't easy, say former contestants and winners, but it can change your life. "To be a champion, I think it takes a certain tenaciousness and a will to succeed, and that will pretty much take you far in anything," 1973 winner and MIT grad Barrie Trinkle tells USA Today. This year's bee is under way in DC and will have a winner by Friday.

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