Christopher Angatookalook says the inaugural Avannaa Arctic Games was the experience of a lifetime.

“I fell in love with the people, the place, and the general welcome from everyone in the host town of Ilulissat,” the 29-year-old says. He proudly represented Nunavik, participating in most of the events, and brought home a very impressive honour.

“I brought home a silver medal in Kneel Jump, a bronze medal in One Foot, but I am most proud of bringing back the recognition of being awarded the title of Fair Play in my division,” he says.

Christopher was one of 14 Nunavik athletes who travelled to Greenland for the inaugural event that ran February 8-13 and are set to be held every two years going forward. In addition to a cultural component, almost 70 athletes descended on the town that has a population of about 5,000. Unlike the Arctic Winter Games, which includes athletes from all Canadian northern regions, the Avannaa Games included exclusively Inuit competitors from Nunavik, Nunavut, Alaska, and Greenland.

Christopher says there were also differences in that the Avannaa event was focused on traditional games instead of the broader spectrum of athletic sports, and there were differences in the lodging, the food, and the connection with local people.

“We had a hotel room with one roommate instead of being in a classroom with other athletes. We were able to shower in peace, and we had comfortable beds. Avannaa hired locals to prepare meals. We had incredibly tasty and filling food,” he says, joking that he still dreams about the mattak stew!

“Since the Avannaa Games will be exclusively in Ilulisaat, I noticed the locals were much more receptive and open to communication with the athletes. With the Arctic Winter Games, each event is hosted in a different location, both the sport being played and AWG as a whole. We interact with others in our sport, or our team competing in another venue, but we hardly get the chance to speak with the locals.”

Willis Tagoona is Makivvik’s Sports and Youth Initiative Coordinator. He says the Nunavik team was comprised of del-egates ranging in age from 15 to early 30s. Each team was allowed to bring four junior athletes (17 and under) and 12 open class athletes (18 and older). It was a fairly quick turnaround in terms of choosing the athletes and travelling, but he agrees with Christopher about the experience, along with the topnotch accom-modations and food.

“We were all fed by elders, traditional food. It was great.”

Willis along with other support staff travelled with the athletes after spending a few days in Kuujjuaq before departure so they could all meet and hold a few practices. In the future, he says, he would like to have more time to prepare athletes for competition and really be able to see what talent is in the region. But this event showcased Nunavik well.
He says Christopher really stood out in Illulissat both athletically and in how he carried himself, resulting in his Fair Play award. And another Christopher, 15-year-old Christopher May Drullard from Kuujjuaq, also excelled at the games, earning a gold medal in the Airplane event.

“He was always competing for a medal, for what it seemed like almost all his events,” Willis says of the youth. “He was one of ours and we didn’t expect him to really do that well. He kind of came out of nowhere with that!”
Having more opportunities to compete would not only help the region identify where the talent is, it would also help the athletes themselves.

“We have such talented athletes, the only Achilles heel, I guess, is that we don’t have a lot of experience in competing,” Willis says. “When we go compete, it’s almost always something new to everybody.” More opportunities to get experience is something he hopes to facilitate in his role moving forward. In the meantime, he says, being able to compete in games like Avannaa offers a real sense of community.

“These events, traditional games specifically, it really gives a sense of family. That’s one thing I’ve learned during my experiences is everyone’s really close.” he says.

“Everyone kind of becomes one big family and then they’re competing against each other, but really, they’re supporting each other, which is really cool to see.”

Christopher Angatookalook says his favourite part of Avannaa wasn’t the competitions, the food, or even the hotel room – it is the memories and connections he made. “What I cherish are the memories of Ilulisaat. The town is beautiful, the people are warm and welcoming, and I was able to walk on an iceberg while out boating with a friend I made that day.”

Here is a list of the athletes who represented Nunavik at this year’s first Avannaa Arctic Games in Ilulissat, Greenland:
Joseph Nowkawalk
Emannuel Dion
Yuliusie Saunders
Christopher Angatookalook
Aquyak Snowball
Gary Metuq
Mary Jane Qinuajuaq
Judith Naluijuk
Tina Mifsud
Hullik Gadbois
Samantha Rupert
Christopher May
Amy May
Ambriel Rupert