Brent Reaney
Northern News Services

Arviat (Aug 03/05) - Pasha Muckpah, and Kristy Kablutsiak are understandably nervous and excited about taking on the best young wrestlers in the country at the Canada Summer Games starting Saturday.

Though with six medals between them at the last Arctic Winter Games, and a pair of medals at a high school tournament in Winnipeg, both athletes are expected to compete well.

But are they intimidated to talk to a reporter?

"We're wrestlers, c'mon!" says Kablutsiak with a laugh during an interview in her Arviat home.

Kablutsiak wrestles in the 52-kilogram division, while Muckpah weighs in at 65 kilos. In Arviat, neither athlete has anyone in their weight class to practice against.

"There's just a few girls and it's hard to practice," says Kablutsiak, who would like to see more Nunavut females in the sport.

Muckpah and Kablutsiak represent the territory's first-ever women to participate in the summer games, but both say they haven't given it much thought.

In 2001, Nunavut sent an all-male team of wrestlers. Because of the lack of opponents, the pair have been training by jogging and lifting weights under the direction of coach Danielle Fitzgerald to prepare for the games. This year's event runs from Aug. 6-20 in Regina, Sask.

On July 29, the entire team met in Jasper, Alta. to begin three-a-day practice sessions, and get ready for the games.

Nunavut's Canada Summer Games coach Bruce McKitrick saw the girls wrestle at the high school tournament in Winnipeg, and says "they looked to be competitive."

Both girls grew up in Arviat, and say they have become closer friends in the past few years because of the sport.

But there is one thing both girls love more than the mat: the rink.

The two Toronto Maple Leafs fans both play the game, but weren't too disappointed during the lock-out this past winter.