In less than 72 hours, the territory's best and brightest young athletes will be donning the colours and hitting the playing field/court/sand/track in the latest adventure for Team NT.

It's the Western Canada Summer Games and it all gets underway for the boys and girls of the North on Friday evening in Swift Current, Sask. Naomi Yukon of Deline will lead the team into the opening ceremony as the flag bearer after that decision was made this past Sunday.

Rita Mercredi is the chef de mission for Team NT this year and she said she can't believe the time is already here.

SA国际影视传媒淚t came up on us fast,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e're as ready as we can be at this point. All of the big jobs are done and now it's just getting the small things done right now.SA国际影视传媒�
Those small things, she said, include packing boxes and shipping them to Swift Current as well as finalizing all of the flight details.

Team NT will be sending a total of 157 athletes, coaches and managers to Swift Current for the 10 days of competition. The Games will be split into two waves of five days each with some of the athletes taking off tomorrow on a charter flight. Once those people are done, they'll fly back home and the second wave will be on its way.

Once the team is in Swift Current, they won't have far to travel to compete as most of the events are within walking distance from the athletes' village, said Mercredi.

SA国际影视传媒淲e'll be taking coaches to Swift Current once we land in Saskatoon but everything is nice and close,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚n past events, teams and athletes have had to build in travel time to their prep but there won't be a huge time allotment this year. Most of them can wake up, shower, eat and get ready for their sport.SA国际影视传媒�

Naturally, every precaution has been taken to make sure everything is all in place before and during the Games but there's always that what-if-this-happens checklist.

Mercredi said there is a back-up plan just in case.

SA国际影视传媒淭here may be a hitch in the booking list, there could be a problem with flights, there could be a problem on the ground,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淵ou always prepare as well as you can and you hope nothing goes wrong but if anything happens, we know what to do.SA国际影视传媒�
There will be staff on the ground in Swift Current as the athletes arrive to deal with any issues that may arise, she added.

The opening ceremony will take place on Friday evening at 7 p.m. with the first sporing action happening before the evening's festivities as the boys and girls soccer teams will be on the pitch with both teams playing Alberta. The girls play them first at 11:30 a.m. followed by the boys at 1:30 p.m.

Keep up to date with the Games with NNSL with daily updates from Swift Current.

FACT FILE SA国际影视传媒� Western Canada Summer Games athletes

Basketball

Girls

Jordan Muchenje, Yellowknife

Zoe Lange, Yellowknife

Elle Mitchener, Yellowknife

Denae Lafferty, Yellowknife

Taya Straker, Yellowknife

Drew Wolfe, Yellowknife

Tori Bayha, Tulita

Naomi Yukon, Deline

Lili Newberry, Yellowknife

Lili Casaway, Yellowknife

Kaitlyn Kenny, Yellowknife

Mali Straker, Yellowknife

Mia MacInnis, Yellowknife

Boys

Joelin Murphy, Yellowknife

Tyler Hopkins, Yellowknife

Arron Antoine, Fort Simpson

Kylan Antoine, Fort Simpson

Chance Brien, Yellowknife

Chase Clarke, Yellowknife

Kevin Santos, Yellowknife

Charles Vilario, Yellowknife

Joshua Moyo, Tulita

Jeremy Moyo, Tulita

Jordan Balsillie, Yellowknife

Brendan McAllister, Yellowknife

Gabe Fillion, Yellowknife

source: Basketball NWT

Volleyball

Girls

Brianna Brenton, Yellowknife

Emily Carroll, Yellowknife

Tanisha Steinwand, Behchoko

Katie Genge, Yellowknife

Brianna Helyar, Yellowknife

Jennifer Lalonde, Yellowknife

Kyra McDonald, Inuvik

Kierra McDonald, Inuvik

Ashley Matesic, Yellowknife

Pamela Olimpo, Yellowknife

Katherine Smallwood, Yellowknife

Allana Zettler, Yellowknife

Boys

Arjun Budgell, Yellowknife

Christopher Mathison, Yellowknife

Gabriel Cluderay, Yellowknife

Isaac Karstad, Yellowknife

Jesse Tobac. Fort Good Hope

Jack Willoughby, Yellowknife

Jacob Hildebrandt, Yellowknife

Jacob Ives, Yellowknife

Kieron Sidney, Inuvik

Jordan Balsillie, Yellowknife

Tyler Caines, Yellowknife

Reece Smith, Yellowknife

source: NWT Volleyball

Track and field

Girls

Hannah Courtoreille, Yellowknife

Crystal Kisakye, Yellowknife

Destiny Hobbs-Stewart, Yellowknife

Fiona Huang, Hay River

Rochelle Smith, Hay River

Katie Hart, Yellowknife

Lindsey Woodford, Yellowknife

Reegan Jungkind, Hay River

Haley Cassie, Norman Wells

Kayleigh Hunter, Fort Resolution

Devyn Dievert, Fort Smith

Dora Faye Hansen, Fort Smith

Chandelle Leonard, Hay River

Boys

Emmanuel Lamvu, Yellowknife

Ajogu Abba, Inuvik

Stryden Hult-Griffin, Inuvik

Lance Dizon, Yellowknife

Zack Horton, Hay River

Bryce Smith, Hay River

Ethan McKay, Hay River

Declan Munro, Hay River

Luke Dizon, Yellowknife

Nicolas Bennett, Yellowknife

Ethan Zettler, Yellowknife

source: Athletics NWT

Tennis

Girls

Monika Kunderlik, Yellowknife

Ofira Duru, Yellowknife

Boys

Nikhilesh Gohil, Yellowknife

Ethan Carr, Yellowknife

Andrew Carr, Yellowknife

Cole Clinton, Yellowknife

source: Tennis NWT

Soccer

Girls

Brianna Brenton, Yellowknife

Olga Duru, Yellowknife

Molly Gillard, Yellowknife

Gillian Furniss, Yellowknife

Tanisha Steinwand, Behchoko

Niobe Darku, Yellowknife

Mira Mercer, Yellowknife

Kea Furniss, Yellowknife

Danica Taylor, Yellowknife

Bronwyn Rutherford-Simon, Fort Smith

Brianna Goodwin, Hay River

Makayla Flett, Yellowknife

Allison Anstey, Yellowknife

Aurora Fraser, Yellowknife

Destiny Hobbs-Stewart, Yellowknife

Charlene Sobrepena, Yellowknife

Alanna Pellerin, Yellowknife

Katie Hart, Yellowknife

Boys

Arjun Budgell, Yellowknife

Cole Clinton, Yellowknife

Nathan Cluff, Yellowknife

Mazen Daher, Yellowknife

Kiran Fox, Yellowknife

Ashlin Gauchier, Yellowknife

Trey Granter, Yellowknife

Seth Harker, Yellowknife

Ethan Horn, Yellowknife

Ethan Kirizopoulos, Yellowknife

Luke Kotaska, Yellowknife

Channel Lafferty Piro, Yellowknife

Emmanuel Lamvu, Yellowknife

Jack Nevitt, Yellowknife

Michael Sadler, Yellowknife

Austin Sleno, Yellowknife

Emmanuel Sumagaysay, Yellowknife

Lucas Wood, Yellowknife

source: NWT Soccer

Swimming

Girls

Madison Bell, Yellowknife

Mackenzie Clark, Yellowknife

Kyra Buckle, Inuvik

Oleta Duru, Yellowknife

Madeleine Kapraelian, Yellowknife

Tegan Konge, Yellowknife

Mina Lockhart, Yellowknife

Tatum Mistakenchief, Yellowknife

Boys

Zack Boivin, Yellowknife

Mathieu Durnford, Yellowknife

Leo Konge, Yellowknife

Jacob Mitchener, Yellowknife

source: NWT Swimming

Wrestling

Boys

Paul Reid, Yellowknife

Cameron Courtoreille, Yellowknife

Adam Naugler, Yellowknife

Quinn Critch, Yellowknife

Girls

Ava Applejohn, Yellowknife

Kaitlyn Stewart, Yellowknife

source: Sport North