For 20-year-old Sam Lindsey, the decision to join a national team development centre this past spring was one of the toughest choices he has ever had to make.

Thankfully for the Yukon cross country skier, it turned out to be the right one.

"You are basically a step below the national team once you get on one of these training centres," he said. "It's definitely a good step in the right direction."

Lindsey, who was born and raised in Whitehorse, has been skiing fairly regularly since 2004, but it wasn't until after the 2006 Western Canadian Championships that he started to put in more time on the training end, with the hope of becoming more competitive.

The training was in preparation for the 2007 Canada Winter Games, when Lindsey managed to achieve strong finishes in two events, placing 13th in the male 10-km classic and fifth in the male team relay.

In 2007-08, Lindsey's skiing abilities earned him a scholarship to the University of Alberta where he enrolled in the Physical Education Science Program.

Despite having to juggle school, athletics and a social life this past year, Lindsey still managed to achieve his most successful year to date as a cross country skier.

Some of the highlights included winning a bronze medal in the team sprint at the 2008 Canadian National Championships, and three first-place finishes at the 2008 Haywood Canada Cup/Western Canadian Championships. Lindsey recorded a top spot in the junior men's 1-km free sprint, 10-km free skate and 15-km classic distance.

The three first place finishes earned Lindsey the top Western Canadian Champion Junior Male honour and helped him secure enough points to lock down a spot on a national team development centre.

At the time he got the call from Cross Country Canada in April, Lindsey was debating several other options, including a scholarship to the University of The University of Alaska Fairbanks.

He said he had two days to decide whether he wanted to join the team, which trains out of the Callahan Valley in B.C.

"It was probably one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make because I had a couple NCAA offerings and I was thinking about going to ski with the Silver Star racing team as well," Lindsey said.

"It was within two days I just started crossing out the ones that weren't as appealing, basically down to Fairbanks or Canada and I kind of thought 'I don't really want to leave the Canadian scene yet.'"

Another factor that influenced Lindsey's decision in favour of the national development centre was having Yukoners Bryn Knight and Emily Nishikawa already committed to the program.

Lindsey, who has been training with the development centre team since June 1, said he has made significant progress with his strength training and skate skiing technique.

For the past two weeks he has been back in Whitehorse and enjoying catching up with friends and family. Lindsey also touched base with Ofelia Andrade, owner of Whitehorse's Subway restaurant chain, who is sponsoring him this season.

On Saturday, Lindsey is heading back to the Callahan Valley and said as a result of the training he did over the summer his expectations are higher than ever for the upcoming season.

"This year it will be a little bit different because I don't really know what to expect, being a first year senior you are kind of a little fish in a big sea," he said. "I think just being able to stick with some of the leaders in the pack in some of races, just being able to ski with people that I looked up so highly to last year."

Lindsey said some of his goals for the year include placing in the top 20 at the Haywood Canada Cup series and a podium finish at the 2009 Canadian Western Championships.

Some of his long-term objectives are to represent Canada at the U-23 in the next two years and to qualify for the senior Canadian national team.

"If I can make the national team within the next few years that kind of just locks you in and you are one step closer to getting to the Olympics," he said.

Lindsey said his first competition is in Vernon, B.C. on Dec. 6 and he hopes to increase his speed in the sprint distances before then.

Lindsey said the support he has received from the community was what made it possible for him to achieve his goal of making the national development team.

"It's so nice to have the community behind you and I would really like to thank Ofelia for all of her support," he said. "She has just been so generous."