A return to form, a breakthrough year.

That's how cross-country skiers Graham and Emily Nishikawa were described after they won International Male Athlete of the Year and International Female Athlete of the Year at the Sport Yukon Awards ceremony held at the Whitehorse Westmark last night.

"It's kind of cool that both Graham and I won that award – it's a big honour,” Emily said in a phone interview with the Star this morning.

Emily is currently training in Canmore, Alta., as a member of Canada's National Senior Development Team. Graham, meanwhile, is preparing for World Cup races in Finland over the weekend.

Because both were absent from last night's ceremony, their mother Joan Stanton received the awards on their behalf.

"Very proud, totally proud of both of them,” Stanton said with husband Bob Nishikawa at her side, both staples in the Yukon's cross-country skiing community.

"They were never pushed into this, but they both seemed to take to it. Graham's six years older than Emily, and he was certainly introduced to skiing early and loved it from the get-go. He was a very active kid, and skiing was really his thing.

"And then when Emily came along, like a lot of little sisters do, they want to do what their big brother's doing.”

After missing out on the World Championships by 4/10ths of a second, Graham bounced back last season by winning the overall NorAm Continental Cup, which included 17 podiums – and seven victories – in the NorAm Cup Series.

"Graham had really hoped to go to the world championships and losing that opportunity by 4/10ths of a second was, although disappointing, also a motivator, and he came back really strong in the World Cup finals in Sweden,” Stanton said.

That comeback was a 27th-place finish in the 15-kilometre freestyle at a World Cup in Falun, Sweden.

Strong results helped Graham earn a spot on Cross-Country Canada's Senior Development Team, his third appearance on a senior national team.

But this marks the first season Graham started on the World Cup circuit, with 10 World Cup starts secured.

Historically, Emily has followed in her older brother's footsteps.

"He's so inspirational for me. I've always looked up to him and still do. We train together on the same team here in Canmore as well. He's always helping me out and helping me become a better skier.”

Emily's breakthrough year included a gold, silver and bronze medal at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, N.S., a 16th-place finish in the 10-km freestyle at the U23 Championships in Estonia and two gold medals at the Haywood Ski Nationals.

Those results helped Emily onto her first season with National Senior Development Team.

"It's definitely the best season I've ever had, and I'm looking to build off that success last year for this season. It's super exciting, and I'm just looking forward to what's ahead,” she said.

The Nishikawas are just two Yukoners who have made their way into the national cross-country ski program. Janelle Greer, Dahria Beatty and Knute Johnsgaard have this year been named to the junior team.

Alain Masson, head coach with Cross Country Yukon, attributes the skiers' Outside success to a solid skiing community in the territory.

"All the things that you need to be successful are right here in this community,” said Masson, who has been coaching in Whitehorse for nearly 20 years.

"Part of our recent success is having so many successful athletes internationally.

Then when we have other athletes growing up and coming up the ranks they know it's possible to do it, because we have role models to look up to. It makes our job a lot easier because it's not an unknown, it's something we do on a regular basis.”

Masson has coached the Nishikawa's from the beginning.

He said Stanton and Bob were integral in their kids' development.

"They were very fortunate to be raised by great parents; they're positive, motivated, dedicated, hard-working individuals, so they have a great influence on their kids.

The kids inherited all these skills and have generally just a good attitude,” Masson said.

"They were nothing extraordinary when they started. They were great athletes, like many other athletes. But I think it's mostly their work ethic, commitment, dedication, positive attitude that make them the athletes they are now.”