In her childhood, she observed a relative who swallowed forks and knives and stuck licorice up his nose, only to have it reemerge through his mouth.
Although her parents wanted her to be a singer, they supported her as a sword swallower by attending some of her performances.
[1] Schillaci was a featured season 6 contestant on America's Got Talent but was rejected by the judges because she did not smile enough.
[1] One of fewer than 20 female sword swallowers in the world,[3] she worked with Ripley's Believe It or Not!
[6] Having earned a degree in sociology and health science, Schillaci has worked in factories, special education, child care, web development, and in administration.