It was Tia KilabukSA国际影视传媒檚 first time out of the country, as well as at the Arctic Winter Games (AWGs), which took place from March 10-16 in Mat-Su Valley, Alaska.

Kilabuk, 14, was one of two figure skaters to help form the 300-strong Team Nunavut. She has been skating since age six and practices three times a week for an hour and a half, training hard with the limited resources in Iqaluit.

She described the facilities for the AWGs as SA国际影视传媒渞eally differentSA国际影视传媒� compared to what she is used to.

SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檙e fancier there,SA国际影视传媒� she said of the schools and the arena. She also describes Alaska itself as SA国际影视传媒渁 really beautiful place.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚 loved the mountains, and everywhere you go there are trees and mountains to look at.SA国际影视传媒�

It was not easy getting her passport in time, as KilabukSA国际影视传媒檚 mother lives in Toronto and had to sign off on the document in addition to getting it renewed with the short amount of time for turn-around, but it was worth it for the experience, she acknowledged.

Kilabuk described the experience as SA国际影视传媒渞eally funSA国际影视传媒� I landed [an axel] jump that I havenSA国际影视传媒檛 before so that made me really happy.SA国际影视传媒�

Competing against 12 other people in an already highly-competitive sport, the ninth-grader performed twice in the Level 1 long and short programs, but missed the team event after sustaining a leg injury from overuse. SA国际影视传媒淪hortSA国际影视传媒� programs last the length of a song, while SA国际影视传媒渓ongSA国际影视传媒� events are a more in-depth performances requiring more elements such as jumps, spins and choreography.

For Kilabuk, competing in Alaska was an eye-opening experience.

SA国际影视传媒淚 feel like after this, it kind of humbled me. I thought I would be one of the top [competitors], but seeing these [other] girls train everyday, it made me want to get better.SA国际影视传媒�

She also said thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of pressure in those events.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 the way the sport is. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 independent. You can only blame yourself. YouSA国际影视传媒檙e either a good figure skater or youSA国际影视传媒檙e not.SA国际影视传媒�

However, she emphasized that the experience was a positive one overall.

SA国际影视传媒淚 really enjoyed it, and would go again for figure skating, even though it is really competitive. But I enjoyed it overall.SA国际影视传媒�