Student Spotlight: Kayley Soars to New Heights—On the Slopes and Beyond

When Lone Star Online Academy (LSOA) fourth-grader Kayley first stepped onto the slopes, something clicked. 

Winter sports were nothing new to her—Kayley began skiing at just three years old. Growing up, she and her family traveled to the mountains, and activities like skiing and sledding became a way to stay active during the pandemic. But once she discovered snowboarding, what started as a pastime quickly became something much more. 

“She didn’t want to get off the slopes,” Kayley’s mom, Vicki, said. After enrolling Kayley in both snowboarding and skiing lessons, it quickly became clear that she had something special. 

“She just picked it up very quickly and excelled at it,” Vicki said. 

Soon after joining a local snowboarding program, Kayley entered her first competitions and earned top placements, qualifying for Nationals. But for Vicki, Kayley’s talent was only part of the story. What truly set her apart was her mindset. 

“I saw her take slam after slam, and she’d get right up and try again,” Vicki said. “She would observe tricks that other snowboarders were doing, catalogue them in her brain, and attempt them herself—without any coaching.” 

A few years ago, Kayley experienced a fall in the halfpipe that shook her confidence. For a while, she carried a mental block that slowed her progress. Then, at the start of this season, she broke both bones in her arm. But with the support of her coaches, she was back on the snow—and competing—less than two weeks after getting casted. 

One moment Vicki will never forget came from a ski lift operator who had watched six-year-old Kayley practice tirelessly. He told her, “She has the heart of a champion.” 

Kayley doesn’t just have the heart of a champion—she has the medals to prove it. This season, she claimed the USASA Rocky Mountain Series (regional) championships in giant slalom, slalom, and boardercross. She also earned gold in halfpipe and silver in slopestyle and rail jam at regionals. At USASA Nationals, she went on to win national championship titles in halfpipe, giant slalom, slalom, and the National Championship Racing Overall title, along with a national bronze medal in slopestyle and the National Championship Freestyle Overall bronze medal. 

But with Kayley’s incredible success comes an incredibly demanding competitive schedule. Now in her second full-time season, nearly every weekend from January through March is filled with competitions across Colorado. 

That’s where LSOA comes in. 

“The online learning allows us the flexibility to be able to do this. Without that, she would have never started in the first place,” Vicki said. “The only choice for her to continue is to either online schooling or homeschool. As a mom who’s already juggling so many things, I’m grateful for online learning and not having to homeschool her.” 

Kayley enrolled in LSOA in kindergarten, after Vicki learned about the school through online communities. For Vicki, LSOA’s Gifted/Talented Program and strong academics provided the confidence to make the switch. 

As for the future, Kayley dreams big—both on and off the slopes. She hopes to become a doctor one day while continuing to pursue snowboarding at the highest levels. With her natural talent and unwavering mindset, her coaches are confident she’ll get there. 

For now, Kayley is focused on learning, growing, and doing what she loves—with the support of her family and the flexibility of LSOA behind her every step of the way. 

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