At 27, Christina is
the youngest musher to run the race this year and is looking forward to coming
back to the Challenge so she can catch up with all of the mushers. She continues to come back because she says
it has a wonderful welcoming atmosphere that includes awesome volunteers,
organizers and vets.
This year for
Christina is more of a personal challenge since getting sick on the Yukon
Quest. In 2013 Christina made it almost to the 1/2 way mark
at Dawson City before coming down ill on the trail. At 23 she attempted and almost made 500 miles
into the middle of the Yukon.
She has come a long
way from hooking up her younger brother to a sled then making him run around to
pull her. It must have been a great
relief to him when she got her childhood pet, a German Shepherd named Cheyenne.
While pretending to be
a musher with Cheyenne, she kept hearing a voice in her head, "don't do it
Christina, no, you're not getting your own team, you are NOT dog
sledding!" That voice in her head
turned out to be her mothers voice.
Guess she didn't
listen to her mother after all as she is now the owner with a full kennel of
Alaskan Sled dogs at Mush McMurray in Fort McMurray.
When I ask mushers
about a personal accomplishment, or something they are proud of, Christina
mentioned something that I would never have thought of, a challenge that most
mushers I'm sure have to face head on.
She says that dog sledding helped her to overcome her fear of the dark
and is now her favorite time to run.
However she added that just being able to train a team of dogs, work
with them and to travel many miles alone together is something she will always
be proud of.
Running with a team of
amazing dogs would also help boost confidence in a young woman out in the wild
alone. One dog, from Aaron Peck, named
Gogi, also known as the Princess of the kennel, stands out amongst the rest. Christina says she has to be one of the
smartest dogs she has ever met, and during the Yukon Quest said she actually
saved her life. When you meet up with
Christina you will have to ask her to share that story with you.
Demi is her other
leader, also from Aaron, a loyal, smart and very determined leader. Demi's mom, Colors, used to be Christina's main leader who is now
a retired couch potato sled dog. However her spirit lives on in Demi, making it
feel like she is still running with the team.
You'll see Christina
this year with a handler all the way from England, Maddie. The two of them have already built team
spirit as Maddie helped with the rebuilding after the fire that struck
Christina's home town this past summer.
The dogs know her well and they
are all looking forward to working together.
There are no specific
plans set beyond this race, but there is a very good chance you will see
Christina back at the Challenge next year.
Photo Credit: Christina's Facebook Page
No comments:
Post a Comment