INUVIK - With six medals in tow, it's obvious the Canada Winter Games were good to Peter Lennie.

The 18-year-old athlete took home two gold medals and four silver medals in the Dene games during the 10-day trip to Whitehorse.

Peter Lennie came home from the Canada Winter Games with six medals and a big smile. With two gold and four silver medals, the young Dene games athlete had plenty of reasons to celebrate after he came home last week. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

"Whitehorse was a great place to have the Games this year," he said.

"They were wicked. I heard people say they were the best Canada Winter Games yet."

Lennie arrived in Whitehorse on March 2 and immediately got started in the competition.

"Since the sports were only for demonstration, I didn't get on the medal stand, but I had fun anyways," he said.

To prepare for the Dene games, Lennie said he just stuck with his best exercise skill, cutting wood.

"Cutting wood is a great all-around workout," said Lennie.

"We go out and cut the tree down, bring it in town and cut it here."

Lennie said his start in Dene games came at the 2004 Arctic Winter Games.

"My coach told me they needed one more player for their team," recalls Lennie.

"It was the first time I'd ever heard of the games."

The Dene games are broken down into five events, said Lennie.

"Three are individual, the other two are team events," he said.

The solo events are the snow snake, the stick pull and the finger pull.

Lennie said the two team events are the hand games and pull/push.

Lennie said the experience in Whitehorse was a good one for all athletes, regardless of medal placings.

"It was a good healthy environment for the athletes," he said.

Even though he was at the event for 10 days, Lennie said he spent most of his time getting to know his teammates.

"I was the only one from Inuvik," said Lennie.

Morgan Blake, of Fort McPherson; Travis Grandjambe, of Fort Good Hope; and Shane Pollet, of Ndilo, were Lennie's Dene games teammates.

"We didn't get much practice before the events, there was so much happening," said Lennie.

Lennie said staying active is important for young people.

"Being active is so much better than drinking or drugs or whatever," he said.

"Having a healthy lifestyle is so much better."