Skier Graham Nishikawa set to take over as head coach of Cross Country Yukon

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.

Since then, he's competed at World Cup events and coached at the national level. He also found great success as a guide for Canadian Paralympic skier Brian McKeever.

Nishikawa helped lead McKeever to medal-winning performances at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Paralympic games, as well as in other international competitions, up until McKeever's retirement from competition last year.

Coming back to lead the Yukon cross-country ski program is no step down for Nishikawa, though. The relatively small Yukon program is renowned for punching above its weight when it comes to Olympic talent — along with Nishikawa, Dahria Beatty, Knute Johnsgaard, and Nishikawa's sister, Emily, all went on to international success after starting their ski careers in Whitehorse.

Nishikawa describes himself as a "super process-oriented" coach.

"I think you need to have a plan. You need to have a goal, and then you've got to be really realistic," he said.

"No matter how your race goes, you