These are all gals with guts who, when they're cold, start a fire - literally; no methaphorical tropes here. Incidentally, "gals with guts" came in second in our name the caption contest. I've posted photos of the Top 5, plus the leading rookie, who happens to be a lady.
The ladies in the above photos are:
Top Left, Aliy Zirkle; Top Right, Jessie Royer
Middle Left, Judy Currier; Middle Right, DeeDee Jonrowe
Bottom Left, Karin Hendrickson; Bottom Right, Melissa Owens
Here's some biographical information from the ITC:
Aliy Zirkle, 39, was born in New Hampshire. She went to college at the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in biology. In 1990 she came to Alaska to volunteer with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Twelve years ago she moved to Two Rivers from the "booming metropolis of Bettles, Alaska." She began mushing in 1993 and said she started by running a trap line, then ran (and won) the Yukon Quest and now she's doing the Iditarod. For the last eight years, she has been a dog musher and a carpenter. Aliy is a member of the Two Rivers Dog Mushers and the IOFC. She is married to Allen Moore, also a musher, and has two adult step children, Bridgett and Jennifer. Aliy lists her hobby as "sitting in the hot tub watching the Northern Lights." Aliy is currently the second place woman and #14 overall.
Jessie Royer, 32, was born in Idaho. She grew up on a cattle ranch in Montana where she lived for 21 years. She worked on ranches as a horse wrangler & horse teamster. She says she got her first sled dogs when she was 15. She started learning about dogs from Doug Swingley whom she worked with for a couple of years. She had dogs in Montana seven years before moving to Alaska in the spring on 1998. She now has a kennel north of Fairbanks with 65 dogs. Jessie has extensive mushing experience including having won Montana's Race to the Sky when she was only 17 and she was the winner of the invitational La Grande Odyssey in France in 2005. She says her hobbies are horses, hunting, mounted shooting, drawing, braiding and photography. Jessie is currently the first place woman and #12 overall.
Judy Currier, 46, was born in New Hampshire and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1984 with a degree in Business Administration. In 1992 she and her husband, Devan, began mushing and quickly realized that their destiny was to live in Alaska. They moved to Alaska in 1995 and settled in Two Rivers in 2002 where they enjoy living "near the end of the road" and right on the trail. When she is not on the runners or at work, Judy enjoys running, fishing, camping and knitting. She is employed as Senior Accountant by Brice Inc. in Fairbanks. Judy is currently the fourth place woman and #27 overall.
DeeDee Jonrowe, of Willow, is a breast cancer survivor who started the 2003 race three weeks after finishing chemotherapy. She was 15th last year and all together has 14 Top 10 finishes. Her best finish in 26 Iditarods was second in 1993 and 1998. I met her in the phone room this year; she's a very gracious lady. DeeDee is currently the third place woman and #16 overall.
Karin Hendrickson, 38, was born and raised in California. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1991 and has lived in Idaho and Colorado working as a teacher and college student. She now works in Environmental Regulation here in Alaska, where she moved in 2003 to run dogs. "My mom had been coming to Alaska to volunteer for the Iditarod since 1998, long before I knew a thing about sled dogs or how they would take over my life. In 2002, she talked me into coming up to volunteer. I returned to volunteer again in 2003 and that is when I knew my future. I sold my house and everything in it, quit my job and headed North..." Before dogs, she says she used to telemark ski, rock climb, white water kayak, train horses, hike etc. Karin is married to Varan Hoyt. Karin is currently the 7th place woman and #44 overall. She's the leading rookie.
Melissa Owens, 19, was born in Nome and has spent her whole life there. She is still a high school student, involved in AE21, a distance learning program. Melissa says that "mushing is in my blood." She said she began mushing "as soon as I could stand on the runners. My family had a team and my dad ran Iditarod the year I was born." She completed four Jr. Iditarod races and was the 2005 champion. She raises and trains most of her own dogs. She says, "I love racing and loved my trip last year. I love working with my dogs and am really excited about the team this year. They are some really good athletes. Melissa's hobbies are gymnastics, dogs and mushing. Melissa is currently the 5th place woman and #31 overall.
Note to all gentlemen reading this: Should you meet one of these mushers on the street, hold the door for her; she's a lady.
