You are ignoring the fact that Cain and Tuohy were both racing. It wasn't about one of them. It was about both of them.
The fact they both struggled makes it an easier narrative but even if Tuohy didn't struggle the loneliness and difficulty of being a top high school girls' phenom would still apply. People would still be wondering, "is it going to last?" That's why I argue it's less enviable than being a high school phenom than just about any other sport.