Team NT grabs first gold ulu at Winter Games in stick pull

Aklavik’s Abigail Arey won Team NT’s first gold ulu of the 2026 Arctic Winter Games in Dene Games’ stick pull event.

Team NT reports Arey won six contests in a double elimination format to take victory in the under-18 female event in front of cheering fans at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse on Monday.

Competitors in the traditional Dene sport stand side by side and attempt to pull a greased stick away from the other person. The greasy stick tests the participant’s grip and is like holding a fish by its tail when ice fishing.

Her secret? “I just try my best and try get a good grip,” she told CKLB, as she received congratulatory messages from family in the Beaufort Delta community watching the livestream.

As for advice for young female athletes? “Don’t worry about disappointment, just try your best and be proud.”

Coach Charlene Liske said Abigail training routine involves staying physically active daily.

“It’s just staying active in your community, doing active things every day, and just keeping your body and your mind strong.”

By early Monday evening, other medal winners included Kobe White, who took silver in snowboarding’s rail jam, and Logan Doll, who received a bronze ulu in snowshoe biathlon.

Top-3 medal standings: Alaska, 39 total; Yukon, 35; and Northwest Territories, 12

– with files from Team NT