emily nishikawa
Summer Assistant Leader
Emily’s calm, gentle and kind spirit was raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. Her curiosity and love of the outdoors began at a young age as did her athletic inclination. The long winters of the North were ideal training grounds for the budding athlete. Her self-discipline and determination led her from life as a gymnast and transformed into a career as a cross-country ski racer. |
Concealed by her modest demeanour, Emily's talent on the race trails is akin to a white-tailed deer; unsuspecting and gentle yet powerful, agile and speedy. The sport of cross-country skiing led her to Canmore in 2009, where she progressed from national-level races to the international World Cup circuit for the Canadian National Team from 2011 and recently retired in 2020. Emily represented Canada at four World Championship (2013 in Val di Fiemme, ITA, 2015 in Falun, SWE, 2017 in Lahti and 2019 in Seefeld, AUT) events as well as two Olympic Winter Games (2014 in Sochi, RUS and 2018 in Pyeong Chang, KOR). Not only did she excel particularly in 10km classic technique events, Emily’s leadership and mentorship of her teammates made her someone to follow.
Since retiring from sport in the spring of 2020, Emily has indulged in the slower curiosities. What makes the fireweed bloom in those certain conditions? Why is it that the children are so enthralled in oral storytelling? How can we foster resiliency through experiential outdoor education? Her curiosities lend themselves well to creating an open atmosphere where the children are encouraged to question, play and challenge themselves.
In addition to her tremendous accomplishments, Emily is a recent graduate of Athabasca University where she completed a BA in Psychology; entirely through correspondence nonetheless. She will be continuing her education journey in September 2020 and pursuing a 2-year BA in Education through the Yukon University (University of Regina affiliate campus). A true example of perseverance, resiliency and passion, we are thrilled that her curiosity has led her to join the team with Forest Play! This is Emily’s first season with the program, but she is no stranger to the trails.
Since retiring from sport in the spring of 2020, Emily has indulged in the slower curiosities. What makes the fireweed bloom in those certain conditions? Why is it that the children are so enthralled in oral storytelling? How can we foster resiliency through experiential outdoor education? Her curiosities lend themselves well to creating an open atmosphere where the children are encouraged to question, play and challenge themselves.
In addition to her tremendous accomplishments, Emily is a recent graduate of Athabasca University where she completed a BA in Psychology; entirely through correspondence nonetheless. She will be continuing her education journey in September 2020 and pursuing a 2-year BA in Education through the Yukon University (University of Regina affiliate campus). A true example of perseverance, resiliency and passion, we are thrilled that her curiosity has led her to join the team with Forest Play! This is Emily’s first season with the program, but she is no stranger to the trails.