Young Iqalungmiut excel at judo and swimming

More and more young Iqalungmiut are donning swimsuits and Judo outfits as swimming and judo – not hockey – become the most popular youth pastimes in Iqaluit.

The city’s swim team recently traveled to the Northwest Territories, while young judokas headed south to Quebec. They both competed against their peers in provincial competitions, and came home with an impressive number of medals.

“Swimming is huge. Hundreds of people use the pool every week. Public swims are packed,” said. Amy Elgersma, the city’s youth coordinator. “There are so many kids. Young kids who line up for public swim an hour in advance to make sure that they get in.”

Iqaluit’s swim team, called “The Breakers,” picked up two medals at the recent Nanook Invitational Meet in Yellowknife, NWT, the fourth time Iqaluit’s swim team has participated in this annual competition.

“This was our big event and what made it even bigger this year is that it’s their territorial competition, so it was lucky we could be there. And we did really well,” said Elgersma, who, along with pool coordinator Rob Smith, also volunteers her time to coach the team. “All our kids broke their personal best records, which is excellent.”

The team members, Derek Akpalialuk, Mary Akpalialuk, Thomas Ford-Rogers, Caleb Little, Karielle Mackey, Kimberly Smith, and Ricky Worches, aged 10 to 14, participated in the butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke and team relays.

Derek won the men’s 13-to-14 bronze medal, while Caleb won the men’s, 11-to-12 silver medal.

The Breakers usually practice two times a week from October to June at Iqaluit’s municipal pool. Anyone, notes Elgersma, can join the junior swim team as long as they have mastered basic swimming skills and strokes.

Iqaluit’s team is the only one that trains full-year in Nunavut.

“That’s because we’re the only ones with an indoor pool,” Elgersma said.

But it’s a pool that’s much smaller than most competitive pools.

“The pool that we train in is 18 and a half metres, it’s very short compared to a regular sized pool – like the pool in Yellowknife is 25 metres, so considering that we had these disadvantages we did really well. Imagine what we could do with a bigger pool,” Elgersma said. “Here, we are actually competitive, actually winning, against these other kids that train four times a week in this great pool.”

To get to Yellowknife, the team had to fund-raise, and sold hundreds of chocolate bars. The team also received assistance from First Air, the Royal Canadian Legion, KRT Electric, Royal Purple, the Iqaluit Minor Hockey Association and the Nunavut Power Corp.

It wasn’t easy for eight young judo buffs from Iqaluit to travel to St. Hubert, Quebec last week, either, but, thanks to the Canadian Sports Federation Friendship Exchange and First Air, they were able participate in Quebec’s largest regional judo competition.

More than 350 young people in Iqaluit participate in Judo classes, due to the efforts over the past three years of Mario Desforges, who works for the John Howard Society.

Boys and girls, four to 14, can take eight hours of judo training a week after school – “and that means one less hour out on the streets,” said Desforges.

Judo is offered as a constructive activity that leads to a healthier life.

“The first program we offer them is called “VIPY” – Violence and Intolerance Prevention for Youth. It teaches self-control and respect for others. We also discuss hygiene and good nutrition,” Desforges said. “Our aim is that you’ll give the same effort in the schoolroom as you do in judo, and have the same attitude that you do with me in the class – sometimes that’s hard.”

Desforges receives support from Judo-Québec, an organization that has 9,000 members in Quebec.

Judo, explains Patrick Vesin, the athletic director of Judo-Quebec, on his second visit to Iqaluit, is about coordination, respect and cooperation. Judo in Japanese means “gentle spirit.”

“So, it’s not just about the technique. It’s all about keeping your body and mind in shape. It’s a discipline, a way to physically develop,” Vesin said. ” If the kids stop practicing judo someday, at least they will keep something in their hearts and in their heads.”

Judo is practiced with a partner, so it also encourages teamwork and respect for others – no matter what the particpants’ sex, age, size, religion or origin may be. A judo competition can require hours of waiting and offer only minutes in competition, so competitions foster concentration and companionship, too.

In St-Hubert, among nearly 700 participants, Desforges himself won a silver medal. Emilie Ruisseau, won the gold cup.

Among the others from Iqaluit who placed are Gabrielle Desforges who won a silver medal, and Isabelle Martel, Nathalie Martel, Joshua Blain and Eugene Dederick, who all won bronze medials in their categories.

By next year, Desforges hopes to have 600 youth in Iqaluit practicing judo, and, to encourage judo in Kuujjuaq, where he’s also working with an instructor.