kaila kuhn
kaila'S
STORY
My name is Kaila Kuhn. Growing up in Boyne City, MI (4 miles from Boyne USA) I developed an early passion for skiing and my competitive spirit started me down a ski racing path. I was also a competitive gymnast and at the age of 12 I was invited to an aerials recruitment
camp in Park City, Utah. My results at the recruitment camp offered me a free year of coaching with the EADP (Elite Aerials Development Program) West.
Fast forward one year and I was back at recruitment camp, this time in Lake Placid, New York. After camp I was awarded a place on the EADP East team, this included subsidized coaching fees and room and board at the Olympic Training Center. An opportunity I couldn’t pass up!!
My competition season at the age of 14 was very successful (14 years old is the earliest you can get your FIS jumping license). In a nutshell, I won the Nor-Am series (youngest to do so), was second at US Nationals and won Junior Nationals. My results from last year earned me an invitation to move to Park City, Utah and train with the National Aerials Team and the best coaches in the world.
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My consistent finishes and two podiums this year have really built my confidence. My training
this summer will significantly increase my degree of difficulty (with my jumps) and give me the
opportunity to secure more podium finishes. Being the youngest athlete on the US National team comes with it’s challenges. I am now training and living full time in Park City, Utah. My school work (high school) is online and very time consuming considering that my training is considered a full time job. Making the National A Team is getting me some partial funding for travel and fees, but it’s still a considerable expense to follow a path to be the best in the world. We are competing against athletes from other countries that are not only fully funded by the state but they are actually salaried athletes. We get no state funding. The Legacy foundation (a 501c3) along with the US Olympic Committee are the primary funding bodies for the US Ski Team. The funding distribution is seemingly arbitrary and the Aerials team gets a very small portion of those dollars.
My living, travel and competition budget for last season was well over $40,000. The majority of our World Cup competitions for the 2021-2022 season are in Europe and Asia (adding significantly to the travel budget). To get results, you need the opportunity to compete-I have the skills to do well but need your support to get to the competitions.
I need your contributions to get results and blaze a path to the 2022 Olympics. I will work harder than everyone else and with your help I will be the best in the world!
Thank You for your support!!!