Originally published 2022-02-05.
The skiing toddler with the microphone is Adia Leidums from Fernie, British Columbia. Her father, Erich Leidums, clipped a small mic to her while she skied at Fernie Alpine Resort, and the recordings caught her chatting her way down the mountain: greeting the scenery, coaching herself over icy patches and cheerfully reviewing her own falls. The clips, shared on the family's That Mountain Life channels, were picked up by Canadian media and CNN and charmed viewers far beyond the Rockies.
Here is what the videos show, how the microphone idea came about, and why a three-year-old talking to herself on skis is actually a lovely glimpse of how young children learn.
Who Adia is and what the video shows
Adia is the youngest of three. Her parents, Courtney Haeusler and Erich Leidums, live about ten minutes from Fernie Alpine Resort, and like her two older brothers she was put on skis early. CBC reported that she first slid around the front yard once the snow piled up, then quickly graduated from the bunny hill. CTV News described her as not quite three when the videos first spread, and already managing small jumps.
The appeal of the footage is the soundtrack. Instead of wind noise or an adult's instructions, you hear a running commentary in a small, determined voice. She talks to the ice as she steers past it, announces which way she is going, and when she reaches an uphill stretch reminds herself to "walk like a duck," the herringbone step ski instructors teach beginners. Passing a cut-out monster fixed to a tree, she politely says hello to it.
After one tumble she picks herself up and calmly rates it: "I think that was a good fall." For many viewers, that one line was the highlight, a small lesson in resilience delivered without any intention of being a lesson.
Why her dad added a microphone
Erich had already been filming Adia with an action camera. The problem, he told local reporters, was sound: whenever she fell, got up and said something, he had to be right beside her to catch it. Clipping a microphone to her solved that. Every comment, sigh and giggle was recorded, however far ahead of him she skied.
It is a small technical change with a big effect. The camera shows what a child does; the microphone reveals what she is thinking while she does it. Asked about the attention, Courtney said it was overwhelming but that the videos seemed to bring people joy, while Erich described his daughter as adorable and said she steals his heart.
The backpack rescue
A second clip turned into a mini adventure. Riding the lift with snacks, Erich lost his backpack, which dropped onto the slope below. Rather than fret, Adia shrugged it off: it was fine, they could simply ski down and fetch it.
So they did. Calling themselves the Rescue Riders, father and daughter set off after the bag, and Adia skied down to retrieve it. It is a sweet scene, and also a nice example of how play can turn a minor annoyance into a shared mission.
Why toddlers talk to themselves
Adia's commentary is not just cute; it is a well-known stage of development. Psychologists call it private speech: speech spoken aloud to oneself rather than to anyone else. It is common in children from about two to seven and tends to peak in the preschool years.
The Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky argued that private speech helps children guide and regulate their own behaviour. It later "goes underground," becoming the inner voice adults use silently. Research summarised on Wikipedia notes that children use more self-talk on harder tasks or when no adult is directing them, and that this kind of speech is linked to better task performance, working memory and emotional self-calming.
Seen that way, a small skier telling herself which way to turn and reassuring herself after a fall is doing exactly what developmental psychology would predict: using words to steer her body and manage her nerves. The microphone simply let the rest of us hear it.
The setting: Fernie Alpine Resort
Fernie Alpine Resort sits in the Lizard Range of the Canadian Rockies, just outside the town of Fernie in south-eastern British Columbia. It is known for deep snow, averaging around 875 centimetres a year, and has more than 140 named runs served by ten lifts, with a vertical drop of about 1,080 metres. It is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies.
For a local family living minutes from the lifts, skiing is part of ordinary winter life rather than a special holiday, which helps explain how a toddler can look so at home on the snow.
What parents can take from it
- Let small children narrate. Self-talk is normal and helpful. There is no need to hush it; it is how many young children organise what they are doing.
- Treat falls as part of the game. Adia's matter-of-fact attitude to tumbling is worth encouraging. Children who are not afraid of falling tend to keep trying.
- Keep it playful and short. Monsters to greet and backpacks to rescue keep little ones engaged far longer than drills do.
- Do not use viral clips as a benchmark. Adia lives beside a ski hill and has skied since she could walk. Every child starts at a different time and pace.
- Think about safety basics. Well-fitted equipment, a helmet and lessons with a qualified instructor help young beginners enjoy the snow safely.
What makes these clips special is that nothing about them is staged. They capture a child's real voice while she figures out something difficult, with humour, stubbornness and a little bit of make-believe. That is worth celebrating whether or not you ever plan to ski.
Sources: CBC News: Fernie toddler's skiing pep talks; CTV News: Chatty B.C. toddler on skis an international media sensation; Wikipedia: Private speech; Wikipedia: Fernie Alpine Resort; Positive Outlooks. Video and images: Erich Leidums / That Mountain Life.
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