A self-described "brainy meathead," Stella thinks more women should be lifting weights and doing crossword puzzles. With a personal-best deadlift of 325 pounds and a personal-best New York Times Sunday crossword solving time of 4 minutes, 33 seconds, she is very good at the first and world-class at the second, with multiple top-ten finishes at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. In an effort to be the change she wants to see in the world (more women puzzlemakers!), Stella began constructing in 2019 after a 9-year hiatus. She relishes the very hardest puzzles and is quite disappointed when the New York Times Saturday takes her less than three minutes.