Being a teenager isn’t easy, even for those who have experienced what one would think of as a normal childhood. Unfortunately, many teenager’s experiences aren’t exactly what one would consider normal. Too often, the hand that some young people have been dealt with is from a deck that is heavily stacked against them.
At age 15, Kayla Lockhart got emancipated and begun the next chapter of her life’s journey on her own. She had to navigate the later years of adolescence and young adulthood without the comfort of home. Struggling with depression and anxiety, Kayla searched for a safe and stable outlet. At age 24, she picked up her first fly rod and found a new way to cope.
Today Kayla works with THE MAYFLY PROJECT, a nonprofit organization that mentors foster children and other at-risk individuals through engagement in fly fishing and the outdoors. Fly fishing is not an end-all solution to the challenges many youths face today, but it’s a good place to start building confidence and to develop a meaningful connection with the outdoors because everyone deserves a place to feel at home, and a life worth fishing.
For more information about how you can get involved with THE MAYFLY PROJECT, please visit their website.
