From cross-country skiers to hockey players, athletes in the north are starting to compete for spots for the upcoming Arctic Winter Games in 2024.
“Nervous but calm,” says Says Isabelle Manuel, 16, who is competing for a spot on the cross-country ski team at the tryouts in Yellowknife. “By thinking of my family when they say push yourself to the limit. When someone is in front of me I would be like ‘keep on going I need to pass this person.”
The games are a big deal for athletes – including the eight from Fort Good Hope.
Coach Gillian Tobac says the athletes are dedicated.
“They have a rigorous schedule like they were skiing or working out in the gym four nights a week, skiing two nights and working out two nights,” says Tobac. “They had to do fundraising as well. This year we were kind of figuring things out, it’s nice to have an event to work towards and then to compare where we are at and what is happening with other skiers.”
The Arctic Winter Games are held every two years.
Nearly 2,000 athletes compete in the games from Alaska, Greenland, Sampi Northern Alberta, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon.
The games will be held in March 2024.
