The film “Million Dollar Baby” is inspired by her story. Katie searched all her life for a place in the world. She earned a degree in art but didn’t see it could help her earn a living. She enrolled in the Air Force yearning for structure and discipline and was stationed in Arizona. After she was discharged, she went back home to Missouri. She enrolled in the university and became a psychologist. Soon after this, her mother died. To deal with her grief she started to paint watercolors of the vibrant desert landscapes she had come to love during her time in the military. Behind these colorful images, she was concealing her feelings of loneliness and loss. Seeking a physical outlet for her emotions she took up boxing.