Cameron Patenaude – Pedersen, left, and Jessica Whalen will compete at the Arctic Winter Games from March 10-14 in Alaska.
Richard Froese
South Peace News
Two more athletes from High Prairie E.W. Pratt High School will compete in the Arctic Winter Games in March in Alaska.
Jessica Whalen and Cameron Patenaude – Pederson were selected to compete in Dene games at the Arctic Games set for March 10-14 in Matsu Valley north of Anchorage.
Dene games include the individual games of finger pull, stick pull, and snow snake and team sports of pole push and hand games.
The Grade athletes are both excited about the international opportunity.
“I was excited to be selected to compete in the Games and go to Alaska,” says Whalen, who competed in snowshoeing in the 2023 Games in Fort McMurray.
“I competed in the Games before and wanted to try something different.”
After the Games were held in Alberta last year, she is thrilled about going to the event in another country.
“I look forward to meet new people and experience Alaska,” Whalen says.
Patenaude – Pederson is also excited he was selected to compete in Dene games at the Arctic Games.
“I know I am strong and it’s unique and it’s fun,” says Patenaude Pedersen, who played high school football with the High Prairie Renegades as a student at Pratt.
“I was happy to be selected and have this experience to compete in the Arctic Games.”
He wants to make the experience about more than competing.
“I look forward to learning more about my Indigenous culture,” says Patenaude – Peder- sen, who won a gold medal at the 2022 Alberta high school track and field championships in junior boys shot put.
Abby Bilyk, Grade 10, and her brother Liam Bilyk, Grade 12, will compete in badminton doubles.
The Arctic Winter Games will be held in Mat-Su Valley with athletes from Alaska, northern Alberta, Quebec, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon Territories, Nunavut, Kalaallit Nunaat and Sapmi.
About 2,000 athletes will compete in 20 sports that also include alpine skiing, archery, Arctic sports, basketball, biathlon skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, futsal, gymnastics, hockey, snow- boarding, table tennis, speed skating, volleyball and wrestling.