Recently awarded second place for non-fiction in 2007 by The National Federation of Press Women! I have been blessed in living the Alaskan dream. After coming north for summer employment during college, I spent the next two decades fishing for wild salmon off the coast of Kodiak Island. David Little and I built a home in an isolated bay, 8 hours by boat from the closest town. We make our own electricity and get mail once a week by sea plane. Often there are more bears than people in our neighborhood! An Alaska vacation in 1997 turned my life upside down when I visited Nome to see the end of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The event embodied some of my greatest passions - the Alaskan wilderness, remote villages, history - and of course the Iditarod dogs. I found myself obsessed with Iditarod facts and soon became a volunteer for the race. Suddenly, at an age when most people feel their lives are set - I found myself immersed into a whole new world - mushing sled dogs! A few short years later I was shocked to find myself alone on a sled behind a team of sled dogs in the Iditarod - the most famous dogsledding race in Alaska. Running with Champions: A Midlife Journey on the Iditarod Trail follows my quick progression from innocent tourist - to volunteer - to musher - in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. It also follows several puppies who grew up to become key members of the winning 2006 Iditarod champion team! Salem received the coveted Golden Harness Award for his outstanding performance in Jeff King's team. For a brief time I have assembled a fun little package with a dog bootie and bookmark, plus the autographs of both the author and Salem! (convincing him to put his inked pawprint on every copy wasn't always easy!) But he loves being a famous lead dog! Join our email list to be contacted with details!
NICE PEOPLE SAYING NICE THINGS!!!
"This is an inspiring story of a middle-aged woman who sets out to live her dream - pushing herself beyond her own physical and emotional limits - to achieve something she never thought possible. A great journey to follow." -- Gary Paulsen "For Lisa, the dogs were champions long before they won a race. Their journey, hers and the dogs, needed no trophy to celebrate success. This is a great story for anyone who dreams of "doing it no matter what 'It' is. If I had a tail, I'd be wagging it!"-- Jeff King, 4 time winner and reigning 2006 Iditarod Champion "If you wanted to run the 1200 mile Iditarod with a crazed 850 pound team of sixteen huskies - then read Lisa Frederic's superb account of misadventures and success. She's forty-two, slightly built, a rookie completely new to the sport, but full of resolve. After a winter's apprentice with Iditarod Champ Jeff King, she runs the Iditarod ---and reminds me that great adventures are more than just good planning." -- Joe Runyan '89 Iditarod Champion "I thoroughly enjoyed this vivid account of a spirited individual with a zest for life who managed to go from curious observer of the Iditarod to crossing under the burled arch in Nome herself in just a few short years. I have a hunch some unsuspecting reader of this book will one day make such a life journey of his or her own." -- Stan Hooley, Executive Director, Iditarod Trail Committee
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Running with Champions