Mikayla George is a Wurundjeri/Wiradjuri girl. Just 16, she is the first ever Indigenous athlete in the Australian Aerial Skiing Development Squad. Her ambition is to be our first Indigenous Winter Olympian.

Skiing may be a downhill sport, but Mikayla’s personal journey has been uphill.
A keen gymnast practically from the time she could walk, she was forced to retire after a 2014 back injury. Mikayla didn’t quit however; she took up trampolining and tumbling and in 2015 became the Australian U17 National Tumbling Champion.
The Victorian Institute of Sport’s ‘Spin to Win’ program scouted Mikayla as a potential aerial skier. She attended a ski camp at Mt Buller (the first time she saw snow) and was chosen for the Australian Aerial Skiing Development Squad, a step towards the Winter Olympic program.
But it’s still uphill for a girl from a disadvantaged background. There are a lot of costs that Mikayla and her family have to meet personally, even though she is an official team member.
Mikayla is being supported by the Australian Indigenous Alpine Sport Foundation, which runs snow camp programs for disadvantaged Aboriginal youth from urban, regional and remote Australia. AIASF promotes participation in Alpine Sports as a way disadvantaged Aboriginal youth can achieve better outcomes and improve their quality of life.
Mikayla is an ambassador for what the programs can achieve and a symbol of hope and achievement to indigenous youth. She inspires them to overcome setbacks and strive to be the best they can.

AIASF has launched this Pozibel campaigbn to support Mikayla. Learn more about Mikayla and AIASF at facebook.com/AIASF.crowd

Costs that Mikayla and her family have to meet personally include, for example, a seven week training program in Utah that is regarded as critical to reaching elite performance levels. She has to pay for her own competition snow clothing and equipment, which is quite expensive. Other requirements are an annual ski pass as Mt Buller, ongoing trampoline training, gym membership and extensive local travel to get to training facilities.

The funds sought will support Mikayla's training and development through to the end of 2016. Any extra funds will be used to help fund disadvantaged Indigenous youth to attendsnow sports training camps run by the Australian Indigenous Alpine Sports Foundation.

Mikayla is a naturally talented athlete who has extended herself through absolute dedication and commitment to training and competition. For example, she started in competitive gynastics before she even started school. Her path to the Winter Olympic team however is not guaranteed. Aerial Skiing in a highly competitive and dangerous sport and Mikayla still has a big part of the journey in front of her. She's determined and focused, but success is not guaranteed, What we do want to guarantee is the financial support to enable her to try and to be her best – and to be a great ambassador.