2 Placerville teen snowboarders work toward the Winter Olympics
EL DORADO COUNTY - With the 2024 Summer Olympic Games right around the corner, two Placerville teens are getting a headstart on preparing for the Winter Games.
Lyla Stubblefield, 13. and her brother Kaden, 15, have been snowboarding since before the age of five.
"I think it was 13 years ago whenever I first started snowboarding, and it wasn't until 5 years ago that I actually started progressing through it," Kaden said.
Now, they're training five days a week at Northstar ski resort on the north side of Lake Tahoe.
"We had to work hard, compete throughout the year and, eventually, get the invite and compete against people that come around all through the country," Kaden said.
Kaden and Lyla both worked hard to compete in the USASA National Championships in Colorado this past weekend. Lyla took first place in her age group, and it wasn't her first time winning nationals.
"It was definitely what I wanted," Lyla said.
Kaden said he didn't do as well as he hoped. He broke his collarbone earlier this year.
"It was tough. I had to sit out almost half the season, so that was not fun," he said.
Kaden said he likes slopestyle and the challenge that it gives him.
"I like to do all the jumps and rails and tricks, spins and flips," Kaden said,
The Winter Games aren't for another two years, and Lyla won't be old enough to compete in the Olympics until the 2030 games.
So what's next in the meantime?
"Get bigger tricks and be able to beat some of the kids I haven't been able to beat this year," Lyla said.
Kaden and Lyla said this year's snowboarding season is coming to an end, so they will soon start going to spring and then summer training camps to prepare for next season.