Today is the perfect day to recognize the outstanding women participating in this year's Iditarod. Overall, the sport of sled dog racing historically was, and continues to be, dominated by men. And Iditarod clearly demonstrates this. Of the 46 mushers out on the trail in 2021, only 13 of 46 are women ~ 28% of the field. And I don't think that percentage has varied a great deal since the race started in 1973.
Which isn't to say women haven't been an important part of, and a force to be reckoned with, in the Iditarod. Mary Shields was the first woman to finish the Iditarod, and she did that in 1974. She set the stage for all the women that would come later. One of those would be Libby Riddles, who became the first woman to win the Iditarod in 1985. And I would bet anyone who claims to know anything about the Iditarod immediately knows the name Susan Butcher. She was the most recent woman to win the Iditarod, doing so in 1990, and before that enjoyed three championships in a row in 1986, 1987, and 1988. Another woman who will go down in the annals of mushing lore is DeeDee Jonrowe. DeeDee successfully completed a whopping 32 Iditarods, with sixteen Top 10 finishes.
There are thirteen women in this year's contest, 10 Iditarod veterans and 13 rookies. Those 10 Iditarod vets have literally thousands of historical Iditarod trail miles under their runners. Those ten women have 88 successful Iditarod finishes between them...!! 20 for Aliy Zirkle (including seven top 10s and three 2nd place finishes), 18 for Jessie Royer (including eight top 10s), 12 for Cindy Gallea, 10 for Kristy and Michelle Phillips, and 8 for Anna. The other four veterans have still logged 8 finishes between them. That amounts to a tremendous amount of experience and commands a great deal of respect in the mushing world.
Equally impressive are the backgrounds of the women involved. Paige Drobny has a Masters of Science in Fisheries Oceanography. Joanna Jagow has a nursing degree and works at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Michelle Phillips has a background in figure skating! Susannah Tuminelli has worked with the Montana Conservation Corps. Ten of these thirteen women currently call Alaska home, but many grew up elsewhere in the country or the world. Mille Porsild is from Denmark!
Of course this Mad Blogger is most impressed by the female mushers she knows best. Kristy and Anna served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. They road horses through the Seirra Madres. They chased down their ultimate dream and found it in the pinnacle of their chosen sport. They've completed 18 Iditarods between them, dozens of mid-distance races, and manage their own kennel. They're also impressive athletes outside of mushing, competing in marathons, triathlons, and canicross events. They can build nearly anything, have worked in commercial fishing, and are learning the ins and outs of landscaping. They're kind and funny and hardworking and beautiful and...
And like all the women brought together through the sport of sled dog racing, they love dogs. They know each dog's name, nickname, gait, favorite snack and scratchy spot, and a dozen other things. You have to have a big heart for all those cold noses, and I know these women have that in spades.
Congratulations to all the women out on the Iditarod trail this year, and thank you showing us all that anything can be accomplished. Heck with percentages.
Which isn't to say women haven't been an important part of, and a force to be reckoned with, in the Iditarod. Mary Shields was the first woman to finish the Iditarod, and she did that in 1974. She set the stage for all the women that would come later. One of those would be Libby Riddles, who became the first woman to win the Iditarod in 1985. And I would bet anyone who claims to know anything about the Iditarod immediately knows the name Susan Butcher. She was the most recent woman to win the Iditarod, doing so in 1990, and before that enjoyed three championships in a row in 1986, 1987, and 1988. Another woman who will go down in the annals of mushing lore is DeeDee Jonrowe. DeeDee successfully completed a whopping 32 Iditarods, with sixteen Top 10 finishes.
There are thirteen women in this year's contest, 10 Iditarod veterans and 13 rookies. Those 10 Iditarod vets have literally thousands of historical Iditarod trail miles under their runners. Those ten women have 88 successful Iditarod finishes between them...!! 20 for Aliy Zirkle (including seven top 10s and three 2nd place finishes), 18 for Jessie Royer (including eight top 10s), 12 for Cindy Gallea, 10 for Kristy and Michelle Phillips, and 8 for Anna. The other four veterans have still logged 8 finishes between them. That amounts to a tremendous amount of experience and commands a great deal of respect in the mushing world.
Equally impressive are the backgrounds of the women involved. Paige Drobny has a Masters of Science in Fisheries Oceanography. Joanna Jagow has a nursing degree and works at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Michelle Phillips has a background in figure skating! Susannah Tuminelli has worked with the Montana Conservation Corps. Ten of these thirteen women currently call Alaska home, but many grew up elsewhere in the country or the world. Mille Porsild is from Denmark!
Of course this Mad Blogger is most impressed by the female mushers she knows best. Kristy and Anna served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. They road horses through the Seirra Madres. They chased down their ultimate dream and found it in the pinnacle of their chosen sport. They've completed 18 Iditarods between them, dozens of mid-distance races, and manage their own kennel. They're also impressive athletes outside of mushing, competing in marathons, triathlons, and canicross events. They can build nearly anything, have worked in commercial fishing, and are learning the ins and outs of landscaping. They're kind and funny and hardworking and beautiful and...
And like all the women brought together through the sport of sled dog racing, they love dogs. They know each dog's name, nickname, gait, favorite snack and scratchy spot, and a dozen other things. You have to have a big heart for all those cold noses, and I know these women have that in spades.
Congratulations to all the women out on the Iditarod trail this year, and thank you showing us all that anything can be accomplished. Heck with percentages.
 |  Kristy (left) and Anna shortly before the start of the race. |
