For over 20 years the NWTRPA has been celebrating and recognizing recreation professionals and volunteers in northern communities for their continuing efforts and achievements in promoting recreation and active living for all northerners. This, the third in a series of profiles on past NWTRPA Award Winners, highlights Natasha Kulikowski, the winner of the 2016 Award of Excellence.
Natasha lives in Inuvik and is extremely involved in her community. She runs a free boot camp two nights a week for 9 months of the year. She promotes a healthy lifestyle by accessing Get Active grants p for a number of activities (boot camp, squash, Recreation and Parks Month activities, etc.). Natasha is the co-organizer for the Terry Fox Run in town, a town councillor, a member of the local Parks and Recreation Committee, and she participates in many sports herself such as volleyball, squash, slow-pitch, and soccer.
She also organizes teams to participate in the Walk to Tuk Challenge and helps to keep the team motivated to keep on moving! Here are Natasha's answers to a few questions so we can get to know her:
Why is recreation important to you?
As a member of the town council: recreation represents the places where the residents of our town can build community. Through kid's sport, quilting guilds, adult softball, or using the Boot Lake Trail with pets and people, etc. As an individual: recreation is an important part of both my physical and mental health.
What are your favourite ways to stay active?
My personal choice is to play sports. I enjoy volleyball, squash, softball, yoga, and I lead a boot camp (though throw any sport at me and I am willing to give it a shot).
What is one random fact about yourself?
I name things with a SKI… My car is Subarski, my skidoo is Polarski, my bike is Pedalski.
What would be the hardest thing for you to give up for a week?
Epsom salt baths.
If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Teleportation. Then I could go visit friends and family whenever and wherever I wanted, instead of planning trips in advance. 🙂