"I don’t have that time to do words more than three hours a day."
Heading into the Tampa Bay regional spelling bee in February, Amara Chepuri was seen as the leading contender.
The Manatee County sixth grader finished in the top three the year before, making it to the quarterfinals of the 2024 national bee before falling to the word ephectic. Several other local spellers were newcomers, giving Amara an edge to represent the region at the May national event.
Amara, 12, did not disappoint, outlasting all others to win on the championship word sashay. But a question about her eligibility arose during the spell-off. She never got to hold the trophy.
Four days later, the Rays Foundation, which sponsored the event, announced that runner-up Vlada Kozhevnikova, a sixth grader from Pinellas Academy of Math and Science, would go to nationals instead.
The Chepuris have been fighting the decision ever since.
Read more at the Tampa Bay Times