Running With Champions

A vacation turned Lisa Frederica's life upside down.

She and her husband traveled as tourists to Nome, Alaska to see the end of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. At an age when her life felt fairly settled, suddenly she found herself obsessed with a whole new world. The Iditarod and sled dogs had been vague concepts before the vacation, but very quickly dog mushing and a dream to run the Big One, became both a goal and a frightening commitment.

Never described as graceful, learning to drive a team of huskies at forty years old was sometimes funny, but more often terrifying. The puppy team she trained went on to become champions, winning the 2006 Iditarod with Jeff King, but they were champions long before they won trophies.

A tale of unconditional puppy love, this is also an inspiring story about setting goals, facing fears, and accepting challenges; Lisa's self-effacing account will speak to all those who have ever followed their heart and found that the dream realized is even bigger than the one they imagined.