SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Even a week later, Natasha Kulikowski got emotional when talking about the award of excellence she received from the Northwest Territories Recreation and Parks Association in Yellowknife on Sept. 28.

Natasha Kulikowski, centre, receives the NWT Recreation and Parks Association's Award of Excellence from board members Mike Scott, left, and Tim van Dam during the association's awards banquet in Yellowknife on Sept. 28. - James McCarthy/NNSL photo

"I was in a little bit of shock because I didn't know it was coming at all," said Kulikowski, who is also a town council member in Inuvik.

"For myself, I just feel like I'm doing my day-to-day life. I don't feel like I'm putting out that much effort. I'm really excited and honoured to receive it."

Her day-to-day life, just in terms of recreation programs, includes running the twice-a-week bootcamp fitness class, sitting on the town's parks and recreation committee, organizing squash events, coaching high school girls volleyball, running the Inuvik Events Facebook page and more.

"I try to volunteer around town when there's something going on," said Kulikowski, who also recently co-organized the Terry Fox Run.

Sport has been an important part of her life since an early age.

"I always found whether it was myself or my friends through sports, we had a different way of dealing with our teenage issues and things going on with our lives," she said.

"You had that outlet to go and burn off energy and just clear your mind and play your game for a while. I think that's the biggest part for me, mental health, and then of course with any physical activity comes physical health, which is so important for all of us."

Diet-wise, Inuvik doesn't have a lot of healthy options for eating out, she said, and not everyone cooks at home.

"We all need to be moving to keep our bodies in the best shape we can so that we can be around for as long as we can," said Kulikowski.

Born in Inuvik but having moved away as a toddler, Kulikowski came back to town in the early 2000s to stay with family and, after a brief visit back to Edmonton, has stayed in Inuvik since.

She can't say enough about the wealth of opportunities residents have here.

"Not only do we have the facilities to hold the events in, schedules everywhere are full," she said.

"If you have any interest in Inuvik, you can find it. If it's not already there, if you create the group, people will come to it. Our community is amazing like that, and the funding we have available to us just by simply filling out forms in some cases to hold events is outstanding. Any interest you could possibly have, you could do it in Inuvik."

For the future, Kulikowski hopes the town can figure out a sport that involves the pool besides swimming lengths.

Underwater hockey has been discussed in the past, but there have been some safety concerns. She'd like to get more people and adults especially using the pool. She would also like another outdoor skating rink in town, plus hopes to see the SAMS school site completed with new fields and community areas.

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