After what has been described as a 'breakthrough' season for Graham Nishikawa, the Yukon cross-country skier finally got the phone call he's been dreaming about for years.

The 21-year-old has become the first male athlete from the territory to be named to the senior men's national cross-country skiing team, a decision he was informed of by the national coach last week, although the official announcement by Cross Country Canada wasn't made until Wednesday.

'It was a good phone call,' Nishikawa laughed in an interview this morning. 'I was just so relieved. I knew I had a good shot, but I never knew 100 per cent.'

Four women and four men were named to the Canadian team, which has a specific goal of training for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Nishikawa said the Olympics have been a goal for him since day one.

'It's definitely really exciting to be on a team training specifically for that,' he stated, adding he's not sure how close the competition was for the spots on the team.

He does know a few of the older skiers that were on the national team this past year were left off this time around, some of which Nishikawa was beating on a regular basis in races this season.

'I had a pretty strong year and I'm still pretty young. Me being 21, I would guess that my age helped somewhat in the decision.'

Nishikawa represented Canada earlier this year as part of a contingent competing in Europe, which was also a first for a male skier from the Yukon. The athlete called the trip to Europe 'a great time' and said he learned a lot from the numerous races he started, including a 70-kilometre event in Italy with about 5,000 participants.

'It's definitely the toughest race I've ever done,' he said. 'Just finishing it was a big accomplishment. But I was way out of my league. Hopefully, I'll be able to really compete in events like that in the future.

'We (Nishikawa and his Canadian teammates) just managed to pull ourselves across the line.'

The Yukoner said the most enjoyable event for him in Europe was probably the world under-23 championships, where he finished 18th.

'It was the worst conditions I've ever skied on, but for some reason, that race was my favourite. I had a great day. I didn't let the weather conditions get to me, and I was with some really tough guys.'

After 12 races over just four weeks in Europe, Nishikawa returned to Canada to wrap up his season, joining his fellow Yukon skiers at the national championships in Prince George, B.C. By that time, said Nishikawa, he was so 'cooked' from the whole season that he wasn't expecting great results. But he still managed a fifth-place finish in the sprint event.

Nishikawa returned home to the Yukon for a while in March, skiing in local events such as the Marsh Lake and Buckwheat loppets, but he is now preparing to start training with the national squad on May 1, back in Canmore, Alberta.

The athlete left Canmore last season and spent the year training in Quebec, which he said was a great experience and something completely different. But still, he is happy to be returning to the national training centre, skiing with the best of the best.

'It's probably going to be the hardest program I will ever have done, so I am a little nervous about that.'

The national team will compete in 20 to 30 races next season, and Nishikawa is setting his sights on the World Cup qualifying races in the fall, with World Cup events being held on his home turf in Canmore next December.

'If I can ski the way I've been skiing consistently, I have a shot at qualifying. But nothing's really for sure.'

That may be true as far as competitive sports go, but one thing that is for certain is the impact Nishikawa's success will have on other Yukon skiers.

As evidenced by the reaction every time he returns home, Nishikawa is already a role model among his young peers, including his sister Emily, who won a gold medal at the national championships in March.

Now that he's become the first male to make the senior national team, his popularity will only increase, and hopefully, so too will the interest in competitive cross-country skiing in the territory.

'Graham is a super dedicated athlete and it's great to see that his hard work over the past years is paying off,' said Yukon coach Alain Masson. 'And it's great to see a Yukoner on the national squad.'

Nishikawa said he definately feels lucky to have made it this far, and is going to work as hard as he can and see where it takes him.

'We have a great program in the Yukon with Alain Masson as coach,' he said. 'I went through it, and if you really want to do it, put in a lot of work and you can get there.'