Born and raised in a small town in Minnesota, Kayla Lockhart discovered her love of the outdoors, and of fishing and hunting, at an early age. As a young girl, she traveled all over Minnesota with her dad, fishing many of the state’s fabled 10,000 lakes. But when her parents divorced and home life spiraled out of control, Kayla and her sisters cycled in and out of foster care for several years. As a teenager she became an emancipated minor and set about building her own life on her own terms.

Introduced to fly fishing by a movie she happened to watch, Kayla found in casting, fly-tying, and reading the river both unexpected joy, and solace from the anxiety and depression brought on by her family experience. She became an insatiable student, learning everything she could by watching online videos, attending local classes, and fishing local streams. The more she fished, the more therapeutic she found it, and it became a central and centering part of her life.

In 2015, Kayla moved to the Pacific Northwest to explore new waters. Today, fly fishing has taken her around the world in pursuit of some of the most exotic species of fish. It has also given her a deep sense of purpose and a means of giving back: She works with The Mayfly Project, a nonprofit organization that mentors children in foster care by introducing them to fly fishing. “Fly fishing saves lives,” she says, “and I’m an example of that.”

When not on the water, you can find Kayla enjoying one of her other hobbies—playing the ukulele and banjo, painting, embroidery, and riding her dirt bike.