Rankin Inlet (Mar 19/03) - Youth from across Nunavut will have a chance to savour a taste of the Olympic experience this month.

Rankin Inlet is hosting the 2003 Nunavut Youth Olympic Academy (NYOA) from March 28-30.

Olympic swimmer Michelle Lachinsky takes a few moments for private reflection before the big meet. - photo courtesy of Michelle Lachinsky

The NYOA is a youth leadership program that encourages youth to identify their personal values and skills using the avenue of sport.

A total of 66 Nunavut youth applied for 50 available spots to attend the event.

Youth from all seven Kivalliq hamlets have been selected to attend.

Dawn Currie has worked closely with Sport Nunavut in organizing the event.

She says Nunavut is the only territory to run a NYOA camp.

"Participants can expect to discuss issues that are not only prevalent in sports on the international scene, but also at the local level," says Currie.

"One topic that always comes up is the mandate for uniforms for female teams.

"Men get to wear loose uniforms, but females are mandated to wear skintight attire."

The topic of performance-enhancing drugs is also broached during the camp, as well as athletes who get suspended for taking the wrong types of medication.

"Should the coaching and medical staff who told the athlete to take the medication also be reprimanded?

"These are some of the issues we put to the kids and get their opinions on.

"While most of these issues don't take place in Nunavut right now, that's not to say they won't as sport develops in the territory."

A major part of the program is encouraging youth to explore their own personal values.

Currie says many values people employ at work, or on the playing field, spill over into their everyday lives.

"How you think on the playing field is also how you're going to think at home or at work.

"We use sport as the avenue to develop leadership skills and explore those values."

The three-day camp will be highlighted by the presence of Olympic swimmer Michelle Lachinsky. The Olympian will spend the weekend at the academy, and tour local schools to speak about her Olympic experience and the path she travelled to get there.

"You don't have to win gold to be a winner. The biggest lesson is what you learn along the way, and the effort you put into giving yourself the opportunity to achieve."