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Geographic challenges shouldn't stifle ambition

It's likely no surprise to residents of Inuvik that living in the far North can feel isolating at times.

For some NWT communities, the reality is that the only way in and out is by plane.

Luckily for Inuvik, the town is situated on the Dempster Highway, which connects people to Whitehorse and beyond.

In just a few months, Inuvik will also link up with Tuktoyaktuk on the new all-season road.

The world is becoming increasingly connected these days, and that means people are exploring more opportunities beyond their own backyards.

Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact a plane ticket south can cost an arm and a leg.

And for anyone looking to head to university, get involved in sports tournaments, or compete in activities beyond the community level, that can be a major barrier.

So you could forgive 14-year-old Inuvik teen Savannah Elias-Beaulieu for wondering whether she lived too far North to enter the Miss Teen Canada Globe pageant in Toronto this year.

In the end, it turned out she was able to take part, and from Aug. 16 to 27 she competed against 13- to 17-year-old girls from around the country.

Although it cost Elias-Beaulieu a whopping $17,000 to be in the pageant – money she fundraised – it paid off.

She not only won the pageant's audience choice award but was dubbed the fourth runner-up, meaning she's now headed on to bigger, better things.

In November, she'll represent Canada in a pageant in Honduras – the first time a girl from the NWT has taken part in the international event.

What's important about Elias-Beaulieu's story is she didn't let significant barriers stand in the way of giving her goals a shot – an attitude everyone in Inuvik should be inspired to live by.

As Elias-Beaulieu told the Inuvik Drum, she's wanted to be in pageants since she was a little girl.

Getting out in the world not only gives young residents like her an opportunity to grow and expand their horizons, but it helps puts Inuvik, and the North, on the map.

As Elias-Beaulieu mentioned, she had a chance to showcase her culture during the pageant by wearing her atikluk, polar bear mukluks, a matching headband and ulu earrings during one portion of the event.

She's not the only Inuvik resident putting themselves out there either.

The Inuvik Robotics and Engineering Club has its sights set on starting a territorial competition this year.

The idea is that the winner would move on to compete against teams from other provinces and territories in the future – another opportunity for residents to test themselves, but also show what the territory is made of.

Raising the money to take part in these activities in a small town is no easy feat. There's only so much money to go around and everyone wants a slice of the pie.

But as Elias-Beaulieu's story shows, a little faith and a lot of hard work can make the risk worth the reward.