Kailyn received her scholarship back in 2015 to help her prepare and qualify for races that would entail. She is a dog sled racer who commits many hours to training and spending time outside in the cold. I asked her a few questions and here is what she had to say.
How is the preparation for the 1100-mile Iditarod race and qualifiers?
The preparation for a future Iditarod race is going great. In order to qualify for the 1100-mile race, I had to complete a total of 750 miles of qualifying races. In 2016, with the help of the Flyin Ryan scholarship, I finished the Copper Basin 300 race. That same year, I finished the Goose Bay 150 race. This past winter in January of 2019 I got the opportunity to step in for a friend who decided not to race and take her team on the
Copper Basin 300 a second time. After having completed that race, I am officially qualified to run the Iditarod. Currently I am working in the Fairbanks School District and trying to save money to someday run the Iditarod itself, but it will still be several more years until that happens since the Iditarod is $15-20,000.
What was the most difficult part of this feature?
The most difficult part of qualifying for Iditarod is the time it takes to prepare for each race. Mushing dogs is definitely more of a lifestyle than a hobby, and you have to have the motivation to stand on the back of a dog sled for hours and hours day in and day out in subzero temperatures.
How has training for this event changed the way you look at your time?
Since I started working with sled dogs, I definitely notice my free time more. That’s not to say I don’t love spending every day with dogs, but now when I get a moment of down time to relax on the couch or watch a movie I really truly appreciate it.
I have a blog, but I am currently in the process of rewriting much of it and adding/deleting parts. Here is the link, and it should be updated in the next few weeks