With much fanfare, Daisy Vanblarcom prepared for the final one-foot high kick competition in the Native Youth Olympics on Saturday. She needed to jump, kick a suspended ball with one foot and then land on the same foot.
The highest height she hit was 87 inches, which went above her personal record – and won her first place. The bleachers were filled with people from all corners of Alaska, but for Vanblarcom, they were familiar faces. Vanblarcom, who competed in six events this year and placed first in two, said making friends with other athletes and coaches is a part of her success.
“I compete a lot better when I know everybody and when I’m comfortable around everyone,” Vanblarcom said.
The Native Youth Olympics was held over three-days in Anchorage last weekend. High school students participated in a dozen competitions, each representing a different Alaska Native subsistence activity or skill. The event started more than fifty years ago, with a few dozen participants. This year, it brought about 450 athletes to the Alaska Airlines Center – a record number since the COVID-19 pandemic…