Camaraderie and Culture

Side-by-side pictures of an NYO competitor preparing for, then executing, a one-foot high kick inside the St. Michael school gym.

If you ask a Western Alaska school-aged child to name their favorite sport, the most common response will likely be “Native Youth Olympics,” or NYO. The games aren’t just a way for students to compete and develop athletic skills; they’re also a means for youth to connect to subsistence culture and learn to support each other.

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Unalakleet Teens Reach New Heights at NYO

Wrist-carry competitors race at the 2018 BSSD NYO tournament in St. Michael, Alaska.

Two Unalakleet competitors, Allie and Arctic Ivanoff, were the highest-scoring athletes in the 2018 statewide Native Youth Olympics. They placed in the top 5 nine times over six separate events during the games held at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

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Hope for the Journey

Miss Alaska, Rosemary Berg

“Just know that you are not alone… and that you are loved.” That’s among the many lessons of the incredible journey of the current Miss Alaska, Rosemary Berg, whose story was heard on KNOM thanks to you.

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An “Eskimo Ninja” Inspires

Nick Hanson scales a “salmon ladder” in his hometown of Unalakleet.

Through your support, a recent episode of KNOM’s Story49 featured a young man from Unalakleet, Alaska, whose training in Alaska Native Youth Olympic games helped turn him into a competitor on the nationally-televised show “American Ninja Warrior.”

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Re-connecting with family

Volunteer Eva DeLappe (pictured, left) had a special guest earlier this spring: her twin sister Sarah (right), who spent a week visiting Nome. The week included a special celebration: both sisters’ birthday. The two also co-hosted an on-air music show, went snowshoeing near Nome, and traveled together to the community of Unalakleet (YOU-nuh-luh-kleet) to report…

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