Zach Bell is the current UCI World Cup champion.

And the Watson Lake cyclist credits the Arctic Winter Games for inspiring him in sport.

He competed as a wrestler at the 1996 Games in Eagle River, Alaska, as a badminton player in Yellowknife in 1998 and again as a wrestler in Whitehorse in 2000.

"The first one was a real eye-opener; it was my first experience with a multi-sport, multi-cultural games, and it really gave me a taste for what kind of experience a life in sport can give you. That's kind of what got me hooked on sport in general from the beginning,” he said.

Bell was on hand yesterday for the Year Out Launch Show of the upcoming Whitehorse 2012 Arctic Winter Games held at the Canada Games Centre before speaking again at the Business After Hours at MacBride Museum.

"I think the Arctic Winter Games is the single most important sporting event in the northern sporting community – by far: it effects more kids, more young people can get involved and it's the broadest cultural experience that you're going to have,” said Bell, who is the athlete ambassador for the 2012 Games.

"Even with all the events I've been to, it's still one of the significant sporting experiences in my life, is being involved in these Games when I was younger.”

Bell, who is based in Vancouver, has not been back to the Yukon since 2008 after the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

"It's great to get back whenever I can, and I'm glad it worked out for such a significant event,” Bell said.

"This is kind of the first time I've returned as a high-profile athlete. When I came even after the Olympics, at that point, it was more friends and family that were excited.

… People knew that we were there, but I don't think there was a lot of connection with faces to names. Also, when I came back that time, it wasn't in association with an event.”

As athlete ambassador, Bell will spread excitement about the Games and how the event can affect athletes, the community and volunteers.

"It's going to start growing from today through to next year,” Bell said. "In terms of events and in terms of priority and things I want to do outside of actually competing, this is one that's always been really high on the list that I've wanted to be involved in.

"I hope everybody picks up on the spirit of the Games and can develop the same love for them that I've always had.”

He will return south tomorrow to begin training in Los Angeles for the 2011 UCI World Championships in Apeldoom, Netherlands from March 23-27.

This was the first time the omnium title was awarded on the UCI World Cup tour, and the multiple-race event will make its Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England.