When Alaska’s 1,150-mile Iditarod sled-dog race begins in less than a month, a Washington mom will be among the mushers.
Jan Steves was a rookie last year when she finished 52nd and won $1,049. The Edmonds native (Edmonds High class of 1974) and mother of three began mushing in 2008 and moved to Alaska the following year to pursue her passion.
Oh, yes – 52nd also denotes last place in the 2012 Iditarod. No matter. Steves was proud to win the Red Lantern award, presented to her as a symbol of persistence and perseverance for hanging tough on the trail for 14 days, 11 hours, 57 minutes.
Steves will be among the entrants when the Iditarod starts in Anchorage on March 2. Read about Steves’ 2012 race in this My Edmonds News story, and visit her website.