From Arctic Winter Games to the Olympic Stage: Six Alumni Compete in Milano Cortina

Six former Arctic Winter Games athletes competed at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games last month. Two from Canada: Yukoners Nadia Moser (Biathlon - 2012 & 2014 AWG) and Sonjaa Schmidt (Cross Country Ski - 2016 AWG). Two from Greenland: siblings Ukaleq Slettemark (Biathlon - 2016 AWG) and Sondre Slettemark (Biathlon - 2018 AWG) who competed under Denmark’s flag and are coached by their parents. Two from the United States: Gus Schumacher (Cross Country Ski - 2012 AWG) and Kendall Kramer (Cross Country Ski - 2016 AWG).

Gus Schumacher won an Olympic silver medal for the U.S. cross-country ski team at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Schumacher competed at the 2012 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse when he was 11 years old. He remembers his first international racing trip to the Yukon fondly.

“I anchored our relay team to a gold ulu. It was my first real championship, and as I reflect on it, it had a lot of similarities to the most recent one I did in Italy this February! Every subsequent race trip I’ve done has had similar tenets to those I experienced at Whitehorse 2012. Some odd bunking conditions, funny food, good pranks, awesome skiing, and many of the best friends I’ve ever had", said Schumacher.

For Kramer, who won the US National 20k Championships last year, the Arctic Winter Games were an important stepping stone in her athletic journey.

"AWG was my first international trip I made in Nuuk, Greenland. This trip set me up with valuable skills in adaptation, racing tactics, and representing my country and state! This trip was so fun and was an excellent celebration of arctic sports and culture, and I remember and recall memories from it often with old teammates. It taught me a lot and was my first taste of big time racing, and I am very grateful for the event," said Kramer.

Hans Natrop, President of the Danish Olympic Committee, agrees that multi-sport events like the Arctic Winter Games are where athletes learn how to prepare for the world stage.

“We always look into not only the skills in the specific sport, but also… human skills. How to manage to be in a big crowd of athletes, and manage the complexity of multi-event games, where you don’t have the same control as you will have with one-sport events...You will always have to adapt to change in schedules… and that is actually something you have to learn and feel,” said Natrop.

Tricia Smith, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee, observed that Canada’s multi-sport games, especially for youth, are often the envy of other parts of the world who don’t necessarily have them. Smith remarked, “I do think it brings people together like nothing else. You learn life skills. You make lifelong friends. Life lessons. Build strong resilient individuals. And those are the kinds of individuals that build strong communities and strong countries.”

Natrop and Smith's message to young athletes competing at the Games, "enjoy the moment, make memories, and friends."

Amongst the crowd at the Arctic Winter Games, you don’t have to look far to find lifelong friends, or future leaders and Olympians in the making.

By Gloria Mok