NorthSome athletes worry the Arctic Winter Games happening every three years instead of two will impact their playing eligibility and give Nunavut athletes even fewer opportunities to compete. Some athletes worry they may age out of categories and have fewer chances to competeBianca McKeown · CBC News · Posted: Dec 12, 2025 1:17 PM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Some Nunavut athletes may not be eligible because of new AWG scheduleMany Nunavut athletes are feeling disappointed with Arctic Winter Games schedule changes. The games were previously held every two years, now that’s changed to every three years until 2032. That means some athletes may age out of categories and have fewer chances to compete. Bianca McKeown reports.Naja Pearce is heading to her fourth Arctic Winter Games (AWG) this March in Whitehorse. She is excited to compete but she’s also in shock over the news that the games are moving to a three-year cycle.The games have historically been hosted every two years, but on Dec. 5, the AWG International Committee announced the change saying it’s meant to support the long-term sustainability of the games, which have faced challenges with hosts withdrawing and political disqualifications. The committee has said they’ll reevaluate the change after the 2032 games. But some in Nunavut worry it gives athletes in remote communities even fewer opportunities to compete. “It is discouraging,” Pearce said. “I was disappointed at first and I wish they didn’t change it.”Pearce, 22, competes in the open category of the Inuit games, which means she can’t age out of her category. But, she says she worries for younger athletes who can.“It gets really discouraging because then athletes are now like, ‘Oh, I have one shot to go to AWG and what if I [don’t] make the team?’”Naja Pearce does the one foot high kick, a sport in the Inuit games. (Submitted by Naja Pearce)Pearce says she’s also concerned the change will make athletes unmotivated to train because of the three-year gap.“Having that two-year cycle is what kind of drove me as an athlete and also as a coach,” she said. “How am I going to motivate these athletes to go to their highest potential and to their peak?Mariele Depeuter, the director of sport and recreation for the government of Nunavut, says athletes are concerned about their eligibility, but it’s not yet clear what the age groups will be for 2029.”There is disappointment and concern about the eligibility, but again, the full impacts haven’t been evaluated yet,” Depeuter said.More time for hosts to prepareJohn Rodda, the AWG International Committee president, says it takes three years for the host community to get ready for the games.“You have to allow enough time for a host society to be created and put together all the pieces that it takes to actually put on an Arctic Winter Games,” he said. Originally, Iqaluit was set to host the 2030 games, but now that has been pushed back to 2032. Depeuter says hosting in 2030 would have been a tough ask for the city. “Based on our review, [Iqaluit] would be able to host, but it wouldn’t be at the full scale that we want to be able to host. So allowing another two years evaluates the opportunity to potentially add more sports to what Iqaluit could host,” she said. Though Pearce is disappointed, she says it’s also an opportunity for Nunavut to create more regional or territorial competitions to motivate athletes in between games. Even with the changes, she says athletes should continue to train hard and push themselves. “Don’t stop doing your sport and still have that motivation that you would have if it was still a two year cycle,” she said. Pearce says she hopes this change is just a pilot project and the games resume as normal every two years after 2032. ABOUT THE AUTHORBianca McKeown is a reporter with CBC North in Iqaluit. Previously, she worked at CBC Ottawa. Have a story idea? Email her at: bianca.mckeown@cbc.ca
Nunavut athletes disappointed by change to 3-year Arctic Winter Games cycle
