麻豆社区

Whitehorse cross-country skier Emily Nishikawa is continuing to inspire Yukoners, even during her offseason.

The 24-year-old recently spent a week in Nicaragua, helping to build a school in the impoverished community of Jardines de Apoyo.

The community is located south of the capital city of Managua. Jardines de Apoyo children have spent the last 14 years studying under tarps in makeshift huts.

Current statistics show more than 50 per cent of Nicaraguan students do not finish primary school.

Working alongside parents, community members, and eager future students, Nishikawa and fellow skiers Perianne Jones and Mark Arendz carried blocks, mixed cement and dug foundations in an effort to provide a school for the community.

Jones, from Almonte, Ont., and Arendz, from Hartsville, P.E.I., also represented Canada in Sochi this year.

Nishikawa and Jones were members of the Olympic cross-country ski team, while Arendz is a Paralympic biathlete.

The trio decided to spend a portion of their offseason working with SchoolBOX, a national charity whose mission is to 鈥楳ake Education Possible' for children.

Nishikawa said the reasons she chose to make the trip were simple.

"Being able to give back is huge,鈥� she said in a press release.

"Sometimes I feel like skiing can be quite a selfish sport.

We have to spend a lot of time just focusing on ourselves.

"So when I鈥坓et an opportunity to give back, I take it. It feels good and it feels like I'm contributing to something important.

"It was really cool to see that spirit of coming together for something that is really needed. I would definitely encourage

other people to take an opportunity like this to give back.鈥�

Nishikawa was the first Yukoner in 22 years to compete in the winter Olympics. She trains in Canmore, Alta.

Nishikawa, Jones and Arendz, along with Cross Country鈥圕anada, are members of True Sport, an organization promoting fair sport and teaching athletes that by giving back they can become better athletes.

Last year, Jones created the idea of 鈥楽ki 4 SchoolBOX' with her former high school classmate, Sarah Kerr, the director of SchoolBOX.

The 鈥楽ki 4 SchoolBOX' project is reaching out to cross-country ski clubs to help raise enough funds to build a sports area for the school. Total cost is estimated at $10,000.

"I knew that this was something I wanted to do since hearing about SchoolBOX,鈥濃�圝ones admitted. "I鈥坮eally couldn't have imagined the impact that SchoolBOX has had on so many families.鈥�

Jones said she hopes their work will have a lasting impact on the Nicaraguan community.

"I am pretty happy with everything we accomplished this week,鈥� she stated. "Hopefully it will inspire a few more kids to go to school after the whole project is done and we are gone.鈥�

Arendz, who won silver and bronze medals for Canada at the Paralympics, called it a great week.

"It was just incredible to see the effect and the inspiration that we could give them, just by showing up,鈥� he said. "It was really good to see everyone 鈥� the community, workers and kids 鈥� putting in their effort to build something for the future.鈥�

The SchoolBOX team in Nicaragua raved about how helpful it was to have the Olympians on site for a week in April.

"Having Perianne, Mark and Emily get behind SchoolBOX has been such a gift,鈥� said Kerr. "It shows that when we work together to 鈥楳ake Education Possible,' we really can defeat poverty. It is extraordinary that these elite athletes are using their Olympic journey to give a voice to some of the world's poorest children. We are so proud of these amazing skiers.鈥�

To learn more, or to contribute to the 鈥楽ki 4 SchoolBOX' campaign, visit www.schoolbox.ca/ski.

SchoolBOX is a registered Canadian charity. Its community is comprised of thousands of people from different faiths and socioeconomic backgrounds united in a love for the children they serve and the belief that education can defeat poverty.

The organization's vision is to see all children in school finishing their primary education.

To date, SchoolBOX has built more than 50 classrooms, alongside dozens of washrooms and libraries.

The charity supports more than 15,000 children in Nicaragua's poorest communities with school supplies each year.