The 2019 Native Youth Olympics (NYO) Games Alaska were held in Anchorage on the weekend and F.H. Collins Grade 10 student, Emily King, is coming home with a gold medal for the One-Foot High Hick.

The One-Foot High Kick demands great flexibility and leg strength. From a standing or running start, athletes jump with both feet, kick a suspended ball with one foot, then land on the kicking foot—without losing balance (they may hop several times on the kicking foot to regain balance).

The ball is raised in increments of four inches after each round, and each athlete is allowed three attempts at each height. When all but three athletes have been eliminated, the ball is raised in one-inch increments until there is a winner.

In many cultures, the One-Foot High Kick was used for signalling a successful hunt.

King was the only athlete to be able to kick 88 inches, or seven feet, four inches, on her way to gold. She hit it on her second try and said it is the highest she has kicked.

“It was definitely a personal best,” said King. “I didn’t know how high it was when I was competing.”

King said before making an attempt she likes to be in the dark about the height of the ball.

“I don’t like to know the height before I attempt a kick,” said King. “I don’t want to get psyched out.”

When she learned she had won, King said she was beyond excited.

“I was ecstatic,” said King. “You can’t describe the feeling. All the people were so good.

Knowing I was the best is insane.”

Making the competition all the more difficult is that only one person from each contingent was able to have a person compete in an event.

“Everyone was the best of the best,” said King. “The competition was pretty intense.”

For King, it was her first NYO Games Alaska she competed in all 10 events at the Games but said One-Foot High Kick is her favourite.

“There is nothing like it,” said King. “Nothing resembles the One-Foot High Kick.”

She credits her gymnastics training in helping her become a strong Arctic Sports athlete.

“I was encouraged by some gymnasts to try Arctic Sports,” said King. “Gymnastics has helped a lot for lots of things like power and agility.”

King just missed out on the podium in the Scissor Broad Jump, placing fourth. The Scissor Broad Jump requires athletes to make four continuous hops/steps without losing balance.

They get three attempts.

She also came fifth in the Two-Foot High Kick. In this event athletes jump with both feet simultaneously, attempting to kick a suspended ball then land on both feet without falling backward.

The ball is raised in the same fashion as the One-Foot High Kick.

“The Two-Foot High Kick is really hard,” said King. “You have to be really specific with your feet.”

The Yukon had another podium finisher in Kate Koepka who finished third in the Wrist Carry.

Starting from a sitting position, athletes hook one wrist over the middle of a long pole held by two carriers.

Without touching the pole or floor with any other part of the body, athletes suspend themselves off the pole and maintain the position while being carried over the course until they can no longer hold their own weight. Carriers may walk or run through the course.

The athlete covering the greatest distance while suspended wins.

King said it was nice to have another Yukoner with her at the Games.

“It was nice to have Kate there too,” said King. “I didn’t feel so out of place.”

For thousands of years and countless generations, survival for Alaska Native people depended not only on individual strength, skill and knowledge but also on the ability to work together toward common goals.

Traditional athletic contests and games helped develop these and other skills critical to everyday life in the challenging Alaska environment. Today’s NYO Games Alaska carries on in this spirit by encouraging young people to strive for their personal best while helping and supporting their teammates—even other teams.

Moving forward King is looking towards the Arctic Winter Games here in Whitehorse next year. In July, she is hoping to go to the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. Both of these she said are “big goals.”