A teenager born in Pintlala is the first native of the Yellowhammer State to make the United States Ski Team.

Dani Loeb, 19, told WSFA she began her athletic career doing gymnastics at United Gym Stars and Cheer in Montgomery.

“I was really into gymnastics. I got up to pretty high levels,” Loeb told the station. “It’s really good for aerials because of the whole air awareness.”

Loeb transitioned from gymnastics to skiing around age 13, eventually catching the eye of a national team recruiter at a ski demo in Virginia.

According to her website, she became the youngest woman to ever become a member of Elite Aerial Training Center and moved to Lake Placid, New York, to continue her training.

Loeb quickly ascended through the ranks of high-level ski and snowboard competitors, relocating to Park City, Utah in 2019. Park City is the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team’s official training site. Loeb was officially selected to the national team shortly afterward, in the spring of 2020.

The world-class skier has more in her life than competition.

“At age 6, Dani endured a near-death water moccasin accident that compromised her immune system for two years,” relays her site.

The incident stuck with Loeb who is now an ambassador for Children’s of Alabama, according to her Facebook page.

Loeb continued to represent her home state even though her career keeps her in colder climates. She recently posed for a photo on top of a snow-covered mountain, wearing a University of Alabama sweatshirt.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.