In less than 72 hours, the territory's best and brightest young athletes will be donning the colours and hitting the playing field/court/sand/track in the latest adventure for Team NT.
It's the Western Canada Summer Games and it all gets underway for the boys and girls of the North on Friday evening in Swift Current, Sask. Naomi Yukon of Deline will lead the team into the opening ceremony as the flag bearer after that decision was made this past Sunday.
Rita Mercredi is the chef de mission for Team NT this year and she said she can't believe the time is already here.
“It came up on us fast,” she said. “We're as ready as we can be at this point. All of the big jobs are done and now it's just getting the small things done right now.”
Those small things, she said, include packing boxes and shipping them to Swift Current as well as finalizing all of the flight details.
photo courtesy of Rob Hart
Team NT will be sending a total of 157 athletes, coaches and managers to Swift Current for the 10 days of competition. The Games will be split into two waves of five days each with some of the athletes taking off tomorrow on a charter flight. Once those people are done, they'll fly back home and the second wave will be on its way.
Once the team is in Swift Current, they won't have far to travel to compete as most of the events are within walking distance from the athletes' village, said Mercredi.
“We'll be taking coaches to Swift Current once we land in Saskatoon but everything is nice and close,” she said. “In past events, teams and athletes have had to build in travel time to their prep but there won't be a huge time allotment this year. Most of them can wake up, shower, eat and get ready for their sport.”
Naturally, every precaution has been taken to make sure everything is all in place before and during the Games but there's always that what-if-this-happens checklist.
Mercredi said there is a back-up plan just in case.
“There may be a hitch in the booking list, there could be a problem with flights, there could be a problem on the ground,” she said. “You always prepare as well as you can and you hope nothing goes wrong but if anything happens, we know what to do.”
There will be staff on the ground in Swift Current as the athletes arrive to deal with any issues that may arise, she added.
The opening ceremony will take place on Friday evening at 7 p.m. with the first sporing action happening before the evening's festivities as the boys and girls soccer teams will be on the pitch with both teams playing Alberta. The girls play them first at 11:30 a.m. followed by the boys at 1:30 p.m.
Keep up to date with the Games with NNSL with daily updates from Swift Current.
FACT FILE – Western Canada Summer Games athletes
Basketball
Girls
Jordan Muchenje, Yellowknife
Zoe Lange, Yellowknife
Elle Mitchener, Yellowknife
Denae Lafferty, Yellowknife
Taya Straker, Yellowknife
Drew Wolfe, Yellowknife
Tori Bayha, Tulita
Naomi Yukon, Deline
Lili Newberry, Yellowknife
Lili Casaway, Yellowknife
Kaitlyn Kenny, Yellowknife
Mali Straker, Yellowknife
Mia MacInnis, Yellowknife
Boys
Joelin Murphy, Yellowknife
Tyler Hopkins, Yellowknife
Arron Antoine, Fort Simpson
Kylan Antoine, Fort Simpson
Chance Brien, Yellowknife
Chase Clarke, Yellowknife
Kevin Santos, Yellowknife
Charles Vilario, Yellowknife
Joshua Moyo, Tulita
Jeremy Moyo, Tulita
Jordan Balsillie, Yellowknife
Brendan McAllister, Yellowknife
Gabe Fillion, Yellowknife
source: Basketball NWT
Volleyball
Girls
Brianna Brenton, Yellowknife
Emily Carroll, Yellowknife
Tanisha Steinwand, Behchoko
Katie Genge, Yellowknife
Brianna Helyar, Yellowknife
Jennifer Lalonde, Yellowknife
Kyra McDonald, Inuvik
Kierra McDonald, Inuvik
Ashley Matesic, Yellowknife
Pamela Olimpo, Yellowknife
Katherine Smallwood, Yellowknife
Allana Zettler, Yellowknife
Boys
Arjun Budgell, Yellowknife
Christopher Mathison, Yellowknife
Gabriel Cluderay, Yellowknife
Isaac Karstad, Yellowknife
Jesse Tobac. Fort Good Hope
Jack Willoughby, Yellowknife
Jacob Hildebrandt, Yellowknife
Jacob Ives, Yellowknife
Kieron Sidney, Inuvik
Jordan Balsillie, Yellowknife
Tyler Caines, Yellowknife
Reece Smith, Yellowknife
source: NWT Volleyball
Track and field
Girls
Hannah Courtoreille, Yellowknife
Crystal Kisakye, Yellowknife
Destiny Hobbs-Stewart, Yellowknife
Fiona Huang, Hay River
Rochelle Smith, Hay River
Katie Hart, Yellowknife
Lindsey Woodford, Yellowknife
Reegan Jungkind, Hay River
Haley Cassie, Norman Wells
Kayleigh Hunter, Fort Resolution
Devyn Dievert, Fort Smith
Dora Faye Hansen, Fort Smith
Chandelle Leonard, Hay River
Boys
Emmanuel Lamvu, Yellowknife
Ajogu Abba, Inuvik
Stryden Hult-Griffin, Inuvik
Lance Dizon, Yellowknife
Zack Horton, Hay River
Bryce Smith, Hay River
Ethan McKay, Hay River
Declan Munro, Hay River
Luke Dizon, Yellowknife
Nicolas Bennett, Yellowknife
Ethan Zettler, Yellowknife
source: Athletics NWT
Tennis
Girls
Monika Kunderlik, Yellowknife
Ofira Duru, Yellowknife
Boys
Nikhilesh Gohil, Yellowknife
Ethan Carr, Yellowknife
Andrew Carr, Yellowknife
Cole Clinton, Yellowknife
source: Tennis NWT
Soccer
Girls
Brianna Brenton, Yellowknife
Olga Duru, Yellowknife
Molly Gillard, Yellowknife
Gillian Furniss, Yellowknife
Tanisha Steinwand, Behchoko
Niobe Darku, Yellowknife
Mira Mercer, Yellowknife
Kea Furniss, Yellowknife
Danica Taylor, Yellowknife
Bronwyn Rutherford-Simon, Fort Smith
Brianna Goodwin, Hay River
Makayla Flett, Yellowknife
Allison Anstey, Yellowknife
Aurora Fraser, Yellowknife
Destiny Hobbs-Stewart, Yellowknife
Charlene Sobrepena, Yellowknife
Alanna Pellerin, Yellowknife
Katie Hart, Yellowknife
Boys
Arjun Budgell, Yellowknife
Cole Clinton, Yellowknife
Nathan Cluff, Yellowknife
Mazen Daher, Yellowknife
Kiran Fox, Yellowknife
Ashlin Gauchier, Yellowknife
Trey Granter, Yellowknife
Seth Harker, Yellowknife
Ethan Horn, Yellowknife
Ethan Kirizopoulos, Yellowknife
Luke Kotaska, Yellowknife
Channel Lafferty Piro, Yellowknife
Emmanuel Lamvu, Yellowknife
Jack Nevitt, Yellowknife
Michael Sadler, Yellowknife
Austin Sleno, Yellowknife
Emmanuel Sumagaysay, Yellowknife
Lucas Wood, Yellowknife
source: NWT Soccer
Swimming
Girls
Madison Bell, Yellowknife
Mackenzie Clark, Yellowknife
Kyra Buckle, Inuvik
Oleta Duru, Yellowknife
Madeleine Kapraelian, Yellowknife
Tegan Konge, Yellowknife
Mina Lockhart, Yellowknife
Tatum Mistakenchief, Yellowknife
Boys
Zack Boivin, Yellowknife
Mathieu Durnford, Yellowknife
Leo Konge, Yellowknife
Jacob Mitchener, Yellowknife
source: NWT Swimming
Wrestling
Boys
Paul Reid, Yellowknife
Cameron Courtoreille, Yellowknife
Adam Naugler, Yellowknife
Quinn Critch, Yellowknife
Girls
Ava Applejohn, Yellowknife
Kaitlyn Stewart, Yellowknife
source: Sport North