The Arctic Winter Games officially kicked off in Alaska on Sunday night.
Two of Team NT’s Volleyball athletes, Keira Coakwell from Hay River, and Sean Grandjambe from Fort Smith were chosen as the Team’s flagbearers for the opening ceremony, which is a role that is usually only performed by a single athlete.
Keira is serving as the captain of the NWT female volleyball team, as well as the volleyball and hockey teams from the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame. She stated that she tried out for the Canada Summer Games, but was unable to make the cut. She continued to practice for 2024, and felt much more confident.
As for Sean, this will be his second time playing at the Arctic Winter Games, and he has also performed at the North American Indigenous Games. Sean says that he feels honoured to be at these games, as there are few others in his family that participate in sports in the way that he does.
Following Keira and Sean at the opening ceremony was a team of over 270 NWT athletes and cultural representatives, as well as 77 coaches, team managers, and support personnel. The games began shortly after the opening, with the first events being futsal, hockey, and curling.
The games will be running until March 17th.
