Tanner Savo won three gold medals this week wrestling for Team Alaska at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland.
Two Dillingham athletes are representing the state of Alaska in Nuuk, Greenland.
Seventh grader Christian Gardiner and junior Tanner Savo have been competing this week in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games.
For Tanner's father, Jack Savo, it's been a surreal experience.
"I kinda keep waiting to wake up every day, and go, my son is halfway around the world competing in something as unique as this, it's amazing!" says Savo. "And to see kids like Tanner and Christian work very hard at their particular events and to see some success... We don't always see success in life no matter how hard we work, but when they get the opportunity, and when they work really really hard, and when you see that work every day, and to see some level of success, it's pretty unreal for me, as a father."
On Tuesday, Alaska’s junior wrestling team, with Tanner on it, was undefeated and won gold in the team competition. Then, Tanner went 2-0 versus an Alberta wrestler to secure a gold medal in individual wrestling, and then won again in individual Inuit-style wrestling.
Christian Gardiner is one of the youngest athletes in the competition, according to his coach Karl Clark. The 13-year-old competed in one-foot kick, two-foot kick, Alaskan high-kick, kneel jump, sledge jump, triple jump and arm pull.
Christian’s mother Jennifer Gardiner says the six-hour time difference has had her up all hours watching his live matches.
"He's been able to meet so many different people from all over the Arctic -- Sweden, Russian, Northern Territories," says Gardiner. "So he's been able to send pictures of all the new people that he’s meeting.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Team Alaska leads the field by far, with 63 gold medals and 164 medals overall – Yukon Territory is in second place with 22 golds and 82 total medals.
The Arctic Winter Games are "the world's largest multi-sport and cultural event for young people," according to the AWG website, drawing teams from Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, Alberta, Sapmi (Lapland), Yamal (Russia) and Greenland.
The games wrap up with closing ceremonies and a fireworks show Friday.