Mountain People Episode 9

This may be the first you're hearing of 14-year-old Kaila, but it's certainly not the last time. Kaila is in a program called the Elite Aerial Development Program for the US Ski Team. Her next stop is training for the Olympics, but Kaila's journey all began right here at Boyne Mountain.

"My decision to join the EADP (Elite Aerial Development Program) was tough because when I was invited out to the team, I was a racer. I trained with my dad every day, and it was something I really enjoyed...So to decide between continuing racing or trying something new was a big decision. But I ended up deciding to go for it.

Moving away from home, family, and friends has definitely been a challenge. I'm a freshman in high school, so I'm missing out on all the high school dances and that fun stuff that people my age do. But I also know that the things that I'm getting to do are things that very few people will ever have the chance to do, so I keep going.

Cary Adgate, the Olympic skier who spends so much time here at the mountain...He really inspired me to get out and do what I wanted to do.

I have so many memories here...I really grew up here, just like my dad. As soon as I was able to get on the chairlift myself, I was roaming all over the mountain with my little rat pack of friends. So now, any time I have time off from training, I come back here and spend my time skiing here with friends.

I really wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now if I hadn't started on skis here. Every opportunity I've had started with what I learned right here, at Boyne Mountain...it was the beginning of a really great path."

Kaila and her dad skiing several years ago at Boyne Mountain, where it all began.