Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games | January 25, 2023
Press Release
For Immediate Release
217 Alaska Youth Athletes from Team Alaska Heading To Wood Buffalo, Alberta to compete in the Wood Buffalo 2023 Arctic Winter Games.
Coming from 32 communities across Alaska, the 217 youth athletes will be accompanied by 40 coaches, 2 chaperones, and 12 supportive staff to compete in 20 sporting events. “It is a big deal that we’ll have 32 communities represented at the Wood Buffalo 2023 Arctic Winter Games. It has always been our goal to draw athletes from across Alaska,” said Holly Odegard,
Assistant Chef to Team Alaska and the Sport Manager for Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games to be held in the Mat-Su Valley next March.
For most of the athletes, it will be their first time competing internationally. The athletes will be chartering two flights from Anchorage to Wood Buffalo, Alberta Canada on Saturday, January
28, 2023. The athletes will be checking in from 8:30 to 2PM to catch their chartered flights to the Games.“I’m so excited to be meeting new people and the experience of it. I’ve never competed internationally. I learned about the Games from leadership teachers at Wasilla High. I was interested because my dad had done it too,” said Claire Koivunen, 17, from Wasilla, Ak
who will be competing in Women’s Ice Hockey. "The kids are extremely excited. We are going strong. We are ready to load the planes on Saturday,” said Odegard.
January 25, 2023 Along with the athletes, three cultural participants, along with their cultural coach will be attending the Games to participate in weeklong cultural events including the Cultural Gala. The team will be met in Wood Buffalo by 16 board, volunteer and staff members of the Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games. Representatives from the 2024 Games will be on hand, including Mat-Su Borough Deputy Manager George Hays for the passing of the torch for next year’s Games. If you’d like to interview the youth athletes before their departing flight,
they will be available from 8:30-2:00 PM on January 28 at the Ted-Stevens Anchorage International Terminal by the Alaska Airlines Terminal.