LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Having grown up in the North, Hay River biathlete Brendan Green admits he felt isolated at times.

Brendan Green signs Tyrone Lennie's sweater during a visit to Thomas Simpson Secondary School. He told Fort Simpson students to make good lifestyle choices and avoid peer pressure. He also showed a video of Team Canada's biathlon performance in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

But that didn't stop him from becoming an Olympian.

"When I was growing up in the North, I laid out a progressive series of goals," he told students at Bompas Elementary School in Fort Simpson last week.

Green and fellow biathlete Rosanna Crawford were touring the Northwest Territories encouraging youth to pursue their dreams.

Green told Bompas students that he knew at a young age he wanted to be an Olympian but he was too shy to tell anyone about it at first. The one thing he learned from his experience is not to be afraid to dream big.

"I didn't think people would take me seriously, but I was really wrong," said Green.

"Once I finally opened up and shared that dream with the community, the support that came in was overwhelming. People want to see you succeed and will go out of their way to help you."

He said there is a lot of peer pressure for kids in the North but focusing on achieving dreams is integral to success.

"Try to make smart decisions and always think about the future," said Green.

"Even when you're on track to doing great things and it looks like you're going to achieve your goals and dreams, there are always going to be setbacks and challenges along the way."

Crawford, who grew up in Canmore, Alta., said it's key to write down goals and the steps needed to reach them. She also talked about making the right lifestyle choices as a youth.

"When you're in high school, it's not going out to party on the weekend with friends, making the decision to go to bed early to get up and train the next morning," said Crawford.

Both experienced setbacks along the way.

Crawford failed to make the World Championships two years after the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

"At the end of the season I had to sit down and think about if this was something I was really passionate about, if I wanted to do it going forward or find something else for my life," said Crawford.

A meeting with coaches, doctors and friends encouraged her to continue pursuing her dream and she went on to make the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

Green's career nearly ended when he herniated a disc in Norway.

It took him over a year to recover but he too went on to greater heights after rehabilitating.

The pair led students through a video of Green's 2014 Olympics performance in Sochi, Russia.

Students cheered when he hit biathlon shots and sighed when he missed, mimicking the Russian crowds.

Though the bell had rung to mark the end of the day, excited students and teachers stuck around to get autographs from the athletes after the presentation was done.

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