Whitehorse Arctic Sports athlete Emily King competed in her first World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) in Fairbanks, from July 17-20. King showed well in her first WEIO winning seven medals.

Of the seven medals she earned, four were gold, including in her favourite event, the One-Foot High Kick. Her WEIO gold was the second she has earned this year as she also took the top prize at the Native Youth Olympics (NYO) in May in Anchorage.

At NYO she kicked 88 inches (seven feet, four inches) the highest she has kicked.

“It was definitely a personal best,” King told the Star in May. “I didn’t know how high it was when I was competing.”

Her height at WEIO was 87 inches. She beat out 20 other competitors to take the top prize.

“It’s not as many as NYO but it is still a lot,” said King. “It was the best-of-the-best competing.”

Before WEIO, King said she hadn’t had many opportunities to practice.

“I hadn’t practised in a couple of months because I was busy with things like work,” said King. “I didn’t know what to expect but I gained more confidence as it went.”

She took gold in the Two-Foot High Kick when she kicked 70 inches. The second-place finisher kicked 67 inches.

“It is far more challenging,” said King. “Your feet have to be the level so it is hard to keep your feet together, but the approach is the same (as One-Foot High Kick).”

She was the top finisher in the bench reach, an event she had never competed in before.

Bench reach is to test an athletes strength. The athlete kneels on a padded bench with their knees at the edge. A volunteer sits on the back of the participant’s lower legs. From this position, the athlete leans forward to set an object on the floor as far away as they possibly can before returning to the original start position.

“It was a big surprise that I won,” said King. “I will definitely keep competing it at the next WEIO.”

She edged out her opponent, Crystal Worl from Juneau, by two inches to take the event.

Her final gold was won in the Kneel Jump. To complete her medal haul, King took home silver in the Scissor Broad Jump and earned two bronze in One Hand Reach and the Alaskan High Kick.

Going into WEIO King said she didn’t know what she was expecting but said it was unlike any of the other competitions she has been to.

“It was so connected culturally,” said King. “There was singing and dancing as well as the games.”

Overall King competed in 10 events at WEIO and because of her impressive performances, she was presented with the Howard Rock Outstanding Athlete award.

“It was surprising to me,” said King about how she felt after she was announced for the award. “There were definitely some great athletes who specialize in their events.”

King was the only international event at WEIO and said all the athletes and coaches were so nice and helpful in giving her pointers.

She is excited about next year’s WEIO and is going to keep training. As well she is interested in trying some other events such as the Blanket Toss and the Greased Pole Walk.