Indigenous gymnast Mikayla George eyes Olympic skiing glory
No Australian indigenous athlete has competed at the Winter Olympics, but one Victorian teenager has set out on the path that led aerial skiing gold medallists Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila to glory.
Former gymnast Mikayla George first saw snow in June yet has now joined the Victorian Institute of Sport’s aerial skiing development program.
George, 16, retired from gymnastics at the end of last year after she sustained a serious back injury at the Victorian championships.
George’s local community got behind her. The Bunurong Healthy Lifestyle Team, an Aboriginal health service on the Mornington Peninsula, paid for her ski lift passes and her family raised funds through mycause.com.au, a crowd-funding website.
She has now been selected to attend a seven-week training camp in Utah. Her exposure to winter sport has revived a childhood dream of becoming an Olympian.
“Most of the people who have come through here have been quite successful, so maybe I can be, too,’’ she said.
Program manager Rachel Johnson sees no reason why she cannot succeed. “She’s really adventurous and confident and she has a go-getting attitude, and that counts for a lot,’’ Johnson said.