INUVIK - Seventeen Inuvik athletes are setting their sights on the podium at the 2010 Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alta. Competing in soccer, speedskating, snowshoeing, hockey, Dene Games and volleyball, Inuvik's finest are pumped for a week of events in the Northern Alberta city.

Dennis Nerysoo is back at the games this year after taking the last two off. He first competed in 2004 in Fort McMurray as a dog musher. This year he is back on the snow, but without the benefit of a dog team. Nerysoo will compete for the first time as a snowshoe biathlete and he is aiming for a medal.

Inuvik athletes Corey Baetz, Lance Gray, Alyssa Ross, Sydney Dunlop, Lucas Lemieux and James Day share a little team bonding while they wait for their grand entrance into the opening ceremonies on Sunday night. - Chris Puglia/NNSL photo

As for why he made the switch from racing dogs to strapping on a rifle for the biathlon, he said he just wanted to try something different.

Nearly half of the athletes from Inuvik are playing hockey in Grande Prairie. Eight players are spread out among the bantam, female and midget hockey teams.

Inuvik's Sydney Dunlop is one of only two female hockey players from the Beaufort Delta region.

The 15-year-old is proud to be among the few female hockey players from the northern part of the territory, saying she sees herself as a role model.

"We can show there are female hockey players up North, and someday we can make the big leagues," Dunlop said, adding her aspirations aim higher than the Arctic Winter Games, stretching to the Olympics.

All 350 members of Team NWT marched into the opening ceremonies at the Crystal Centre Canada Games Arena Sunday night to the thunderous applause of a packed house.

The eclectic event combined rock music, traditional dance and a prayer sung in Swahili.

Inuvik athletes:

Snowshoeing

Alyssa Ross

Speed Skating

Connor McLeod - Junior Male

Roald Langford - Juvenile Male

Cullen McLeod - Juvenile Male

Volleyball

Andrew Greenland-Jerome

Dene Games

Kandace Sittichinli

Hockey

Steven Alldridge - bantam

Evan Lemieux - bantam

Sydney Dunlop - female

Paul Grech - midget coach

Sean Alldridge - midget

Corey Baetz - midget

James Day - midget

Lucas Lemieux - midget

Soccer

Lance Gray - Junior Male

Kelsey Blake - Juvenile Female