By JARROD POTTER
FROM never seeing snow to pursuing a career as an aerial skier, it’s been an unexpected, but exciting year for Mikayla George.
George, 16, from Narre Warren South, has switched from gymnastics to the winter sport as she pursues an unexpected dream for a Victorian who lives nowhere near the state’s mountaintops.
The unique pathway opened up after a thoracic spinal fracture forced her to retire from gymnastics.
She immediately returned to sport en route to a national championship in tumbling – a frenetic gymnastics-style sport requiring amazing aerial flipping technique, which put her on the path towards the winter discipline in a roundabout way.
“I retired from gymnastics because I injured myself – I fractured my spine which was a pretty serious injury – so I took a rest from that,” George said. “I’d been to four nationals and won Victorian Championships and that was a really good year for me the one I retired, so I finished on a high note.
“I tried trampolining instead and ended up liking it then started tumbling as there was a tumbling program as well.”
With gymnastics and tumbling pedigree confirmed, the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) offered a curious pathway for the Melbourne Girls College student – come and join the aerial skiing program.
“I got a letter from the aerial skiing manager at the VIS and they asked if I wanted to start aerial skiing,” George said.
“They get a gymnast and teach them how to ski rather than getting a skier to learn how to flip – would be a bit easier like that.
“We had a two week camp at Buller and then the seven weeks after that we’d go up and ski all day everyday every weekend … . it’s really fun, I really like it.”
She’ll be the youngest aerial skiing prospect taken on a trip to Utah – running from December to February – as part of Australia honing its skiing skills for future Olympic Games campaigns.
For now she’s still getting accustomed to the sport but George is committed to her dream of making the Winter Olympic Games.
“Short term is just getting my flipping on snow – flip on the water ramps and get ready for Utah,” George said. “Everyone says it’s amazing over there for snow and I’m excited – never been overseas as well.”
If her Winter Olympics dream came to fruition, George would be the first Indigenous Australian to make the team – as she is of Wurundjeri heritage.
She is also a spokesperson for Bunurong Healthy Lifestyle Team – encouraging Indigenous teenagers to make better choices for their long-term health.
If anyone would like to donate to help Mikayla get across to America, her MyCause page is www.mycause.com.au/page/115153.
