We are officially two weeks out from the start of the 2024 Arctic Winter Games in Mat-Su Borough, Alaska, and most of the heavy lifting has been done already.

The job now for Rita Mercredi is tying everything down and making sure the ISA国际影视传媒檚 are dotted and TSA国际影视传媒檚 crossed.

Team NTSA国际影视传媒檚 chef de mission is busy getting the last few things done before the charters head west beginning on March 9. A total of 355 athletes, coaches, chaperones and mission staff will board the planes to march in to the opening ceremony the following day, March 10.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e getting the clothing distributed, finalizing our rosters, making sure passports are in order and confirming our arrivals and departures for the opening ceremony,SA国际影视传媒� said Mercredi. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e been talking with the host society about all the information on our numbers and anything they have to tell us, which we pass on to our people.SA国际影视传媒�

Three charters will be making the trip, and theySA国际影视传媒檒l all depart from Yellowknife Airport. The team will muster in the capital, but some athletes will arrive in the city earlier as some sports will be hosting pre-games camps.

The officials from the NWT wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be flying over with the team as there wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 enough room on the charters. Instead, theySA国际影视传媒檒l be flying with the folks from Team Nunavut, who were able to find some space for them on one of their charters. Athletes from the Kitikmeot region will also be gathering in Yellowknife to pick up a ride from the Nunavut charters, along with the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 futsal teams as theySA国际影视传媒檒l be taking part in a training camp.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 great that Nunavut was able to open up some space for our officials,SA国际影视传媒� said Mercredi. SA国际影视传媒淲e always try to bring officials to support the Games and our charters were full, unfortunately. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 an example of teams working together.SA国际影视传媒�

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a quick turnaround for the team; the 2023 Arctic Winter Games in Wood Buffalo, Alta., were a little more than one year ago. Toss in the 2023 Canada Winter Games and 2023 North American Indigenous Games and you can see what everyoneSA国际影视传媒檚 been up against.

Mercredi said the tight timing has kept everyone busy.

SA国际影视传媒淚 feel for anyone whoSA国际影视传媒檚 involved because there wasSA国际影视传媒檛 much downtime from the last Games,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淥ur TSOs (territorial sport organizations) basically had to get right back in and start assessing athletes for this year. I wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 worried about whether there would be any problems, but just that we were rushed because of that.SA国际影视传媒�

Team NT will be competing in every sport except alpine skiing. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 a total of 19 all together and while Mecredi knows the team as a whole will do awesome, she didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to go out on a limb and make any bold predictions about ulu counts.

SA国际影视传媒淯lus are gravy as far as ISA国际影视传媒檓 concerned,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he athletes have been training hard and our coaches do an amazing job to develop them. ISA国际影视传媒檓 sure theySA国际影视传媒檙e all excited and it wonSA国际影视传媒檛 take long for them to get into the groove. TheySA国际影视传媒檒l have a great time, theySA国际影视传媒檒l excel, but ISA国际影视传媒檓 not going to make any promises about how many ulus weSA国际影视传媒檒l win.SA国际影视传媒�