School honours returning athlete Aisa Pirti brings home four medals — and pan-Arctic wardrobe

Aisa Pirti, a student in Kangiqsujuaq and an outstanding athlete at the recent Arctic Winter Games in Kenai, Alaska, came back
home wearing a jacket from the Yukon, pants from the NWT and a hat from Nunavut — with four ulu shaped medals for Team
Nunavik-Québec around his neck.

Pirti’s success at the AWG weren’t forgotten by Arsarniq School, where Pirti is a Sec. 6 student.

To celebrate Pirti’s return, the school planned a party and the Kativik School Board helped his adopted mother from Akulivik, Emilie Anautak, to fly to Kangiqsujuaq for the occasion.

“I was really surprised. I wasn’t really expecting to see my mother at the airport,” Pirti said, in an interview arranged by his proud teachers
from Arsarniq School.

Pirti’s medal-winning performance at the AWG was more fun than hard work, the trilingual athlete said.

In 2004, Pirti, now 19, participated in the junior male category for Inuit games. This year, he competed in the senior male events.

“It was a lot harder,” he said. “Two years ago, when I was in the juniors, I wasn’t very good yet.”

But despite the stiff competition, Pirti collected four ulus in Inuit games — a silver in the knee jump, and three bronzes for the onefoot
high kick, the head pull and Alaskan high kick.

“It was amazing. I never thought I would win a medal. I won the silver, and I felt really happy because I was representing Nunavik,”
Pirti said.

Pirti’s excellence is helped by his training schedule: about three or four times a week he works out or practices his high kicks.

Pirti said he enjoys all sports, but hasn’t been playing much ice hockey because he can’t afford to buy all the necessary equipment.

While he’s hoping to head off to college in southern Quebec next year, Pirti said he may have to give up on Inuit games in favour of
studies and team sports. But he’d like to go to the next AWG in 2008 in Yellowknife. That’s because so far his interest in Inuit
games has opened many new doors, bringing him throughout Nunavik, and to Alberta and Alaska.