>> you know, i was just a really happy-go-lucky kid, you know, outgoing, had a lot of friends. you know, played a lot of sports. was really active. >> raised in rural michigan, dana personified the all-american girl. studious and athletic, dana wasn't just good. she was exceptional. >> i was always a bright child. very athletic. anything i picked up i excelled at very quickly. >> looking back now, dana says the punishing physical grind and pressure to succeed as a star athlete led her to abuse alcohol. >> you train rigorously. you're playing sports seven days, six days a week, you know, and that's hours-long practices, you know, and tournaments and, you know, just different training sessions. you know, weight lifting, you know, running, everything. and it's just, it consumes your life. >> big 10 schools and duke came calling offering dana full athletic scholarships, but she says she started to rebel and