Yellowknife (Mar 08/06) - Over the past 36 years, Laurel Graf has been a successful athlete, proud coach, and even found love in the venues of the Arctic Winter Games.

"I was in the first Arctic Winter Games in 1970 as an athlete," said Graf.

Now a badminton coach, she got her start in the games as a competitive figure skater.

Things were a bit different back then. When Graf competed there was a pairs event, but unlike modern skating it was an all-female competition.

Back then, she said, boys just didn't figure skate.

The 1970 games, held in Yellowknife, were successful for her. She earned a medal for Team NWT.

But a podium finish in 1970 paled in comparison to her 1982 games experience.

Travelling to Fairbanks, Alaska, that time with the badminton team, she had a chance meeting that would later change her life.

"I met him in Alaska," she said, nodding to her husband Ron.

Ironically, Ron was playing for the NWT volleyball team. Although they both lived in Yellowknife, they had never met.

And as they say, the rest is history.

Both Ron and Laurel continued their involvement in the games. Laurel moved on to become coach of the NWT badminton team and Ron is head official for the same sport.

Their son Derek carried on the family tradition competing in badminton. He won a silver and a bronze medal at the 2004 games in Fort McMurray.

Focusing on fair play as her coaching philosophy, Laurel has had many proud years coaching Team NWT.

In 2004 her team hauled home an impressive 13 medals, but more importantly to her they were also recognized with more than half of the daily fair play pins given to athletes over the course of the games.

Being involved in the AWG for more than three decades, Laurel derives a deep sense of satisfaction from watching her athletes compete.

"This is Gillian's (Waugh) first games and I have been coaching her for five years," said Laurel.

Laurel also coached Gillian's sister Jennifer, who won three medals at the last games - two gold and a silver. Nerves aren't really an issue for Laurel after all these years. While she waited for the charter flight in Yellowknife on Friday night, she said she mostly felt tired.

"You just want to get there," she said.

Badminton at the Games is very social. With more than 300 matches played, Laurel said there are a lot of opportunities to get to know people.

"At any given games there are a number of times the same people are there, so it's somewhat of a reunion," she said.