Sarah Stillwell, a Fayetteville resident and rising senior at Fayette County

High School, was expecting to have a relaxing time while attending Camp Glisson,

a Methodist camp, this summer. However, plans changed during a lunch one

day where Stillwell went from camper to hero.

"Each cabin was sitting around and eating their lunch of corn-dogs

in a weird way," she said. "This girl's group was feeding

each other their corn-dogs and I guess, they tried to feed her again before

she had chewed her previous bite."

Stillwell noticed that Tracy started coughing, which meant she could still

breathe, but soon she stopped breathing and one of her cabin mates tried

to give her the Heimlich maneuver, but it wasn't working. Stillwell

pushed her way through the crowd and gave her the Heimlich maneuver with

enough force to dislodge the corn-dog.

"I learned the Heimlich maneuver in health class and then saw my aunt

perform it once on my cousin," said Stillwell, who was presented with

a plaque and a certificate citing her as a "Hero of the Week."

She also received a journal, a bookmark and a hat. The girl, whom Stillwell

only knows as Tracy, was taken to the nurse's office and was a little

shaken up but otherwise fine.

Stillwell's advice to others who find themselves in a situation similar

to hers is to not hesitate.

"I hesitated for a minute and afterwards thought about all the what-ifs;

what if I didn't make it to her in time..." Stillwell said.

Tracy referred to Stillwell as her guardian angel after the incident, but

Stillwell deflects much of the credit, seeing it as something that anyone

would do.

Stillwell is looking forward to her senior year and is beginning to eye

colleges. Though she doesn't know where she will be going yet, she is

considering majoring in theology. Stillwell attends Inman United Methodist

Church. She hopes to attend Camp Glisson next summer as a camp counselor.