Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club (CBWC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the long-term social and athletic development of Inuit youth.
Upalungaiyarniq inuuhirmun
Preparing for life
Since the beginning of time Inuit have been wrestling. This tradition continues across Nunavut, where the Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club aims to provide safe and supportive programs to develop confidence, discipline and resilience.
ABOUT US
Our coaches empower Inuit youth by challenging them in a recreational setting designed to push their boundaries without breaking their trust. Today, a new generation of Inuit youth are training to become coaches, mentors and role models within their own community and help the traditional roots of wrestling grow.
Events
Canada Games 2025
August 18-24
We are so excited to announce the 2025 Canada Games Nunavut Wrestling team.
From the mat it might look like wrestling is an individual sport but in our experience it’s always taken an entire team of people to support and shape our athletes. We would like to thank all the coaches, parents, chaperones, community members, and teammates who have given their time to help make this trip possible. As a coach you can have all the tools to teach an athlete but if you don’t have the support of a community behind you, they can never gain the one thing they need most, experience. When these wrestlers arrive in St. John’s, Newfoundland next month that experience will be the foundation on which they will fight.
At the Canada Games, we will show the nation that Nunavut is ready to rise - proud of where we come from, and empowered by the people who got us here.
Atii Atii
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2025 Canada Games Nunavut Wrestling
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2025 Canada Games Coaches
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2025 Canada Games Womens Team
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2025 Canada Games Mens Team
Events
1st Annual Kivalliq Regional Wrestling Tournament & Clinic
Photo of Chris and Eeekeeluak courtesy of Thorsten Gohl.May 22-25
The Rankin Inlet Wrestling Club is hosting their first Kivalliq Regional Wrestling Tournament and Clinic this year. One of the top wrestling coaches in Canada and our club’s president, Chris Crooks, will be attending the event all week long along. Joining him will be CBWC Coach Loryn Evans-Muswagon. We look forward to this opportunity to learn, train and compete together!
OUR VALUES
Inuuqatigiitsiarniq
Respecting others, relationships and caring for people.
Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq
Developing skills through observation, mentoring, practice, and effort.
Piliriqatigiinniq / Ikajuqtigiinniq
Working together for a common cause.
Pijitsirniq
Serving and providing for family and/or community.
OUR PROGRAMS
Qalvik Program
For Inuit youth ages 6-18, this transformative after-school program uses the fundamentals of wrestling to teach social and emotional skills
Atii Atii Program
A transitional leadership program for athletes that trains them as coaches and mentors to guide the next generation of wrestlers.
Nuna Doctors
Week-long seminars providing Inuit youth with essential first aid skills, drug and alcohol awareness, and practical guidance to make informed decisions for a healthier future.
Beyond the Mat
An adventure initiative that uses travel to provide athletes with hands-on learning, cultural exposure, and diverse teaching methods for new experiences both on and off the mat!
“Wrestling saved my life, so wrestling will be with me until the day I’m gone.” — Eekeeluak Avalak
Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club
Latest News
Nunavut wrestlers train for southern competition
Keeping 2022 gold medal legacy alive, coach leads wrestling clinics across Nunavut
Nunavut wrestlers prepare for community clinics after Alberta camp
“This program has taught my son to believe in himself, have self-discipline and responsibility, and just have the love he has as a young person growing up in a small community. If not for the dedication of these two coaches, I don’t know where my son would be today in life. Since joining wrestling, my son is a role model in the community, not only to his peers but also to younger and older youth and adults in the community.”
— Wendy Kootoo-Wood, mother of Eekeeluak Avalak, CBWC participant