Graham Nishikawa says it feels like "a lifetime ago" that he was part of the Yukon cross-country ski team, being driven to race events by the team's longtime coach Alain Masson.
That was about two decades ago. Now Nishikawa is set to return home to Whitehorse to take over from his former coach who's retiring, and head up the local competitive ski program — Cross Country Yukon.
It's a "little bit surreal, for sure," Nishikawa said. "With all the experiences I have and all the training I've done, I think I just felt like I can, I want to share what I've learned." Nishikawa has an impressive resume as a competitive skier.
He started as a youth in the "jackrabbit" program in Whitehorse with Masson, and then moved to Canmore, Alta., in 2003 to pursue a career in the sport.