Flexibility, core strength, balance, upper and lower-body strength, power, mental focus, discipline, and dedication are the basic skills required for a young athlete to become a top gymnast. The ideal female gymnast is small and slight, with a narrow body to permit speedy rotation, superb balance and a high strength to weight ratio and an even musculature. 

Ayla Miller, an eighth grader at Big Lake Middle School fits those descriptions to a “T”.

Miller started her love of gymnastics in Big Lake but is making a successful path in the Junior Olympic program. Ayla started her gymnastics career at the age of five in a community education class held once a week at the high school. 

Pound for pound, gymnasts are some of the strongest athletes in the world.

Miller then joined the Big Lake Xcel silver team where she competed for one year. Her love of gymnastics found her wanting to pursue more training beyond the Xcel program. With the encouragement of the Big Lake coaches, Amy Hedberg and Nikki Dilbert Collison, she pursued a tryout at Twin City Twisters in Champlin for a spot on the Junior Olympic team program.  She ended up making the team and was briefly coached there by Big Lake’s current head coach, Lanny Goldsmith. The move to Twin City Twisters started her climb to the top of the USA Junior Olympic program. 

The sport of gymnastics, which derives its name from the ancient Greek word for disciplinary exercises, combines physical skills such as body control, coordination, dexterity, gracefulness, and strength with tumbling and acrobatic skills, all performed in an artistic manner.

Ayla was quickly recognized as having strength, skill, and fearlessness for twisting, tumbling, and flipping. She was selected to participate in TOPS (Talent Opportunity Program) at TCT where she trained extra strength, skills, and routines in addition to her normal team practices. TOPS is a program through USA gymnastics that recognizes young talent. Ayla placed in the top 100 in the country as an eight- and nine-year-old through state TOPS testing. This qualified her for TOPS national testing both years at the National Team Training center. 

Ayla has continued to go through each level of gymnastics through the JO program with success. She has placed in the top five at level three, four, seven, and eight and holds state titles in bars and floor. Her level nine season was cut short due to COVID-19. 

Ayla’s first year at level 10 was one filled with struggles due to COVID-19 and injuries. As a first-year level 10, and a seventh grader, she finished ninth place in All Around at state.

(Level 10 is the highest the JO program goes through unless gymnasts who are skilled enough and who are then chosen to pursue the elite path). 

Ayla’s dream of being an elite gymnast and her devoted work ethic has now put her on the elite path with the hopes of making the U.S. National Team. 

Ayla trains between 24 and 28 hours per week five to six days per week at Twin City Twisters. She does her core classes in the morning at the middle school and then leaves school halfway through the day to attend practices. 

For Ayla’s parents, Kara and Mike Miller, this has been tricky to navigate at times but worth it to help their daughter pursue her dreams. 

Kara and Mike have four active kids so juggling the drive and schedules is something they take in stride. Aiden, their son, is a 2021 graduate of BLHS and a freshmen at St. Cloud State University. Nolan is an 11th grader at BLHS, who plays football and basketball. Harlow is a fourth grader at Independence Elementary and also in the JO program at Twin City Twisters. 

“The kids are incredibly supportive of each other and attend every sporting event they can,” says Kara. 

In September, Ayla was invited to her first developmental camp with National Team coaches at the National Training Center in Indiana. She will be attending her second one in February in Texas. 

“Being able to work with the National Team coaches is such an incredible opportunity,” says Ayla.