Meet The Mushers

Photo by Paul Cyr

My husband and I have been racing dogs for 14 years. We learned to run dogs at YMCA Camp Menogyn and a few years later we acquired our own team. A mushing friend invited us to a race and soon we were breeding dogs and racing. We now have 30 dogs in our kennel located near Grand Marais. I work as a nurse at the local hospital. Our usual roster of races includes the Beargrease, UP200, Can-Am and Gunflint Mail Run. In 2024 I made an attempt at running the Iditarod in Alaska but unfortunately had to scratch after 500 miles. I'd like to go back and give it another try. This year, however, we will stick to races in the lower 48. We are incredibly grateful to our community of sponsors in Cook County and beyond that have helped us achieve our mushing dreams.

Living in northern country with family , doing runs with our dogs and lots of expedition , carpenter , and many other jobs during summer ! Im here this year and all family will be participating in other class .

I started doing dogsledding at 5 years old, I did my first race at 9 years old. In summer, I work in construction and I am a guide during winter. I always been passionate about sled dog racing since my young age. The Can-Am will be a new challenge for me.

I've been dog sledding for 15 years. I work as a paramedic full time. Being with my dogs is where I feel most as home. I live in the outskirts of madawaska with my 30+ dogs, husband Ryan and Oscar, Phoebe and Ginger, the managers of our teams.

Jonathan Hayes is a sixth-generation Tennessean who settled in Maine thirty years ago after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps — and he's called the Northwoods home ever since. Hayes teaches at the K—12 school in Saint Agatha and also serves at the small home missions ARC Church in nearby Frenchville. A registered Maine Guide, author, and adventurer, Hayes has a deep love for long miles and frozen trails. This past winter, he completed a 750-mile expedition across Alaska's low Arctic, traveling with his team of Maine-bred Seppala Siberian sled dogs — direct descendants of Togo and the legendary dogs Leonhard Seppala brought to Maine a century ago. Upon his return, the State of Maine officially adopted the Seppala Siberian Sleddog as the state dog, honoring that legacy and the living lineage behind his team. This season, Hayes is sharing his passion for the North Woods by offering guided wilderness expeditions throughout northern Maine — from dog sledding to canoeing adventures across the state's wild country. The Can-Am 250 has been on Hayes's bucket list for years. Between Alaskan expeditions and races, children racing, Covid, and a lean-snow winter, something has always stood in the way — but not this year. Hayes and his Seppalas are ready to run. Hayes says, "After Maine recognized the Seppala Siberian as the official state dog, I knew I had to bring them to the Can-Am. These dogs carry the legacy of mushing and Maine — and there's no better place to celebrate that than here in Fort Kent."

Animals have always been apart of my life. I have always worked with and around either dogs or horses and they never cease to inspire me. I have always been drawn to northern landscapes. Some people dream of sandy beaches, I dream of snowy adventures. Dog sledding for me merges everything that is important to me, discipline, honesty, hard work and perseverance. There is nothing I rather do than be out training my dogs, Being with my dogs — it is indescriptable. My partner and I have a kennel of 35 dogs together and we motivate each other to reach our respective goals. We have one daughter, Marianne, who has been raised in our mushing world and we believe raising her in such an environment brings very important values in her life. Raising and training sled dogs takes all of our living time, but there is nothing and no time better spent than with my dogs either in the yard or on the trail. Love the dogs first, the sport second!

I'm an helicopter pilot half of the year and musher the other half. I get to have the best of both worlds. I have always sought out adventure and love to travel desolate country. Luckily, one of these passions permits me to do the other. My partner and I have had dogs since we have been together and our aspirations are always growing!

Mushing is a life style for us. All the family is involved. It's so nice to race with my son since couples years. The can-am is my favorite race. I start mushing when i was 12 years old in sprint races. I am the third generation of musher in my family. I love the freedom to be in the trail with my dogs.

I born in a mushing lifestyle. All the family is involved in racing. I really enjoy to be with my dogs, i like everything around them. This year will be my third time racing the 250. This race is really challenging every time and i like that !

When I was 8, I put a harness on our house dog, a big St-Bernard! Then one day I saw a team of several dogs ant that's when I realized that I wanted to harness more dogs. As a teenager I was doing sprint races, and it was only in 1996 that I actually started doing longer distances races, racing from 60 miles to 400 miles in the same year, the Labrador 400. I climbed the ladder and I started winning the Can Am Crown 250 in 1998, the in 2025 I won it for the 11th time. I did the race circuit in the North East America, but in 2003 I run the Yukon Quest where I placed sixth. I won the Hudson Bay Quest in Manitoba twice and and I placed second at the UP200 in Michigan many times, but last year I won my first UP200. In 2022, I realize my dream of running the Iditarod and finished 21th. My wife MJ Dulong published a book of my life and adventures. What I like the most about dog sledding is to be in the wilderness, discover new territories and specially to listen to my dogs and to see that we are an amazing team between humankind the beast.

agent de la faune retraité et musher a plein temps, je suis pas mal le doyen de la canam 250 a 65 ans, j``ai toujours reussi a completer la course en 8 tentatives .lentement mais surement je compte bien le faire avec mes siberiens . tres heureux d etre a fort kent cette année.

Passionnés de plein air et d'aventure, mes chiens et moi adorons explorer de nouveaux sentiers. Les courses de chiens de traîneau ont toujours été une de mes passions. L'adrénaline que chaque départ me procure est inimaginable.

j'aime bien partir seul en forêt avec mes chiens, je pratiques la chasse la pêche et la trappe, i love fort kent ! Many camping trips with my dogs.

Bonjour tout le monde Très heureux de revenir courser ici à Fort Kent. Mon but cette année est d'améliorer mon résultat de l'an passé et de finir avec une belle équipe de chiens heureux. Thanks to all the person that make this wonderful event !!

j'aime entrainer les chiens voir leurs progrès, sur la trail plus rien existe, ces le moments présents , les chiens rien d'autre! I like training dogs to see their progress, on the trail nothing exists anymore, these present moments, the dogs nothing. the white leader is Keisha who I like for her determination, and the black one is Toudra who is the fastest in the kennel! My kennel is a recreational kennel established on the farm

I've been practicing dog mushing for a long time but I started to race only in 2023. It's gonna be my first attempt on a 100 miles race. I own and train sled dogs for over 23 years. rnI made multiple expedition in the first years. Since 2011, I provide dog sledding tours in the Gaspé's Peninsula.

What started as a mission to find a canine running partner evolved into a life centered by dogs. Finding my first husky Loki as a puppy at a shelter might have started the journey, but my amazing retiree Smarty truly highlighted what joy we could have as Team Misfits. We live for the moments we become part of the forest while we're out sledding. This is our third year participating in the CanAm, and we are absolutely thrilled to be racing in Fort Kent!

Julia is so excited to pursue her dreams of running a mid distance team. It's all about the dogs and being out together on an adventure. Each dog brings something unique and special to the team. Julia loves seeing the dogs bond and grow together as they train and race. It's a beautiful and special thing to be working with such incredible athletes and friends. It's an honor and a privilege to share life with these incredible dogs that are apart of our family.

Passionate about hunting and the outdoors, I love being with my dogs in the woods, seeing them evolve within my team. Watching them give their all for me makes me proud of them and makes us a team.

This will be my 12th Can Am race—time flies measured in dog years. I've improved a little since that first Can Am 30, thanks to great mentors—both mushers generous with their trails, homes, and knowledge, and the dogs themselves, so many talented and memorable canine athletes. I try to pass on what I've learned and gained, and lately I've been getting beat by mushers I've sold dogs to, which is honestly a fun feeling. Midlife mushing isn't so bad. I just wish we had more snow. Thank you to the hardworking volunteers who put this race together every year, the sponsors who support the race, and to our wonderful host family the Audiberts. Many thanks to the secrets to the dogs success: my supportive partner Chuck for helping keep dogs happy, healthy, and loved, Terry and Connie Eddy as all-round supporters and kennel family, assistant mushers Garett Moore and Brianna Boisselle, and we wouldn't be here without the community of Upton, Maine: neighbors who fix my old ATV, delivering straw, allow us to cross their property, and volunteers and landowners who work year-round keeping trails open and well-maintained. Looking forward to racing on the Can Am trail with my beloved teammates after a few years off! I have no idea what we're racing for until we leave Allagash. So, let's go see what the trail has in store for us this year!

Je suis ancien militaire d'infanterie. J'ai fini mon service en 2008....... Je suis le créateur du magazine européen du chiens de traineau. Je travail comme réalisateur pour le cinéma. J'ai une entreprise de travaux multi service à Saint Pierre et Miquelon. J'ai bébé de 9 mois et deux garçons de 8 et 11ans. Je fais de la course à pied

After two years away, we're back not chasing the past, but running as one with everything we have earned and nothing left to prove. This year, I chose the 100-mile race intentionally. Not as a step back, but as a return to flow, focus, and joy. This team is built on experience, patience, and deep partnership. The dogs have been with me through countless miles, seasons, and life. At the front is Neva, our 11-year-old leader, whose steadiness, wisdom, and heart set the tone for everything we do. She does not just lead the team she anchors it. We're here with fire, determination, and gratitude. Every mile matters. Every moment counts. This isn't about proving anything or repeating anything it is about moving forward together, fully present, and loving every second on the trail. The real magic isn't about distance or miles; it's about rhythm, flow, trust, and the bond between a musher and her team.

Fayth is a Flight Nurse and Certified Veterinary Technician who has been involved with the Can-Am volunteering with the veterinary team since 2012. She ran her first 100 mile races last year and even travelled to Canada for two races. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to run again this year! When Fayth is not volunteering as a veterinary technician or working she enjoys spending time with her three Siberian Huskies and two Alaskan Huskies (all sled dog retirees). She loves hiking, camping, and adventures with her dogs and boyfriend, Nate.

Between my jobs as hockey mom and English professor, I find time to run dogs! I love to spend time outside with my four-legged friends, and I enjoy the human friendships I've built through the shared life-style of dog sledding. Thank you to all those (colleagues, family, and friends) who have supported me and enabled me to get here to the start line.

Catherine has been racing and training sled dogs for 25 plus years. She is the owner and operator of Maryland Sled Dog Adventures LLC which offers dog sled rides and educational dog sledding programs to kids and adults. Catherine founded Maryland Sled Dog Adventures in 2007 with her late husband, Eric, also a Can Am finisher. Last year, Catherine ran Can Am for the first time on the 10 year anniversary of her late husband, Eric, running Can Am for the first time. Catherine is ably assisted by the mini mushers, and her chief handlers, her three kids, Ethan, Eloise and Emmaline. Catherine holds two undergraduate degrees of the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of Washington. She is a huge Michigan football fan. Go Blue! When she is not on the trail running dogs, Catherine is an attorney and Partner in the law firm, Simms Showers LLP, specializing in maritime and admiralty litigation.

(English version follows) Je m'appelle Rocky Bérubé, chargé de projet et enseignant en informatique. Avec ma conjointe Delphine, nous entraînons notre meute selon une approche axée sur le respect des chiens, leur bien-être et une progression constante. Nos chiens sont au cœur de notre quotidien et, afin de soutenir pleinement notre passion, nous avons choisi de nous établir dans un environnement propice à l'entraînement régulier et au développement de notre équipe. My name is Rocky Bérubé, and I am a project manager and computer science instructor. Together with my partner Delphine, we train our dog team using an approach focused on respect, animal welfare, and continuous progression. Our dogs are at the heart of our daily lives, and in order to fully support our passion, we chose to settle in an environment that allows for regular training and the ongoing development of our team.

J'aime le plein air, les chiens et la chasse. Je souhaite respecter le parcours de la course sans me tromper de sentier... Ce sera ma quatrième expérience à la course CAN-AM-CROWN.

Everything is so fine and I am so happy to be here, like every time.............and.............I even got an an Handler, this year for training every weekend!...............Thanks to all off you for this race, mushers, public, volonteers, everyone!.

I am 18 years old and live in Fort Kent, Maine. I will be running the second team for SDI Kennel this year. I am really looking forward to running more races this year and seeing what this team of dogs can do.

Mushing for me began when I met Jonathan Hayes in 2021 and started working with his dogs at Poland Springs Seppala Kennels in Madawaska. I have been to Alaska now twice with him and ran my first Can Am in 2025 with a borrowed team from his kennel. This year we dove in head first and bought our own team! We now have 10 dogs in our kennel consisting of 9 Seppala Siberians and 1 Yakutian Laika. Juneau will be leading my team again this year in the Can Am 30.

My Siberians are my joy, my passion, my family, my best friends and the reason behind my motivation. I started training them in 2018 and never looked back, they changed my life. I now consistently train 10-16 dog teams and have been focusing more on mid distance, though I love to have fun in local sprint races. The Castarek kennel has come a long way with love dedication and hard work. I wouldn't be with this amazing group of dogs and where I am now without a few very important people and my mentors who I cherish. The kennel name also represents a dog, Casper, whom greatly influenced who I am today and I am proud to honor his memory within our name. Last season we completed this race and placed 14th amongst many competitive teams in harder conditions, I am looking forward to coming back and adventuring the beautiful trail again with my best friends! Wishing everyone a safe and fun run!

My family and I adopted our first sled dogs in 2012 from Sibersong Sleddogs and the dream has only grown from there. This is my 13th season running dogs and I could not be more thrilled to be back racing at the Can-Am Crown. My team and I have competed in 3 Can-Am 30s (2015, 2016, 2019) and 3 Can-Am 100s (2017, 2020, 2023) and we are so exited to be at the starting line again. The Can-Am is my favorite race that I have done and it would not be possible without the amazing volunteers and race organizers. Thank you all for putting on such an amazing event.

The dog team and I are thrilled to return and see all the friendly and smiling faces at Fort Kent! This is a special and sweet race. An absolute favorite run. This year I dedicate the race to all 24 Siberian huskies at Thesewoods Kennels in Underhill, Vermont. While 6 huskies make the run today, it takes the entire kennel of dogs to make our race team. We spent months running in mud, slush, rain and snow. It truly takes a village as is said but for me it is the 4 legged kind. While it is countless hours caring for 24 dogs, the wagging tails, smiling and happy furry faces make it all worth it. Can Am we run for you! For all our dogs, May the snow be soft beneath your feet, May the warmth of your humans that love you fill your heart, May you be happy and fulfilled to be the best sled dog ever. Run true! Run happy! Run fast! Happy trails Thesewoods Kennel Dogs! Thank you everyone involved in putting on this great race! And of course, to all you crazy and fun spectators, hip hip hooray to all of you cheering us on. Your support and encouragement mean so much. It really makes our sendoff thrilling and rewarding. Thank you!

Born and raised in st anne, started dog sledding since the age of 5 , been dog sledding since, its my passion...In the next few years i plan on traveling canada for dog sled competition

This is my first time racing at Can-Am, and I'm excited to experience the trail I've heard so much about! My sled dog journey began two years ago, when I made the last-minute decision to sign up for an internship at Thesewoods Kennels through my university, and I've been hooked ever since! Thank you Ingrid and Patty for trusting me with your dogs, the rest of the Thesewoods crew for all of your hard work, and, of course, thank you to the dogs - this is all for you!

Originally from Massachusetts, Nicole now resides in Northern Vermont. Nicole's journey with sled dogs began five years ago, when she decided last-minute to join a dog sledding internship through her university. Little did she know, she would soon be hooked! This is Nicole's first time competing at Can-Am, and she couldn't be more excited to get out there and see the trail! Nicole would like to thank Ingrid and Patty for giving her the opportunity to run their dogs and experience this race. As well as the rest of the Thesewoods Crew, who have been hard at work training and caring for the dogs all season. Plus, her partner Ryan, who is holding down the fort back home.

Alex was born to Mush. His father's victory in the Can-Am when Alex was only three ignited a lifelong goal: to see two generations of Therriault mushers on the Can-Am champion's list. Now the owner of New England's largest dog sled touring operation - The Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience in Canton Maine - Alex continues to train his team on the same trails that shaped his family's legacy. For Alex, this race is more than a competition — it's a pursuit of heritage and a tribute to the dogs his family has raised, loved, and welcomed home for generations.

I'm back ready or not. I'm a no longer a rookie but still got a lot to learn. Now with a bigger team I'm off to do more races this year. I live in nh and am a mom of 2 wonderful boys all who also have started training dogs and racing. My superhero husband is my biggest supporter and is always there to help with holding dogs or fixing broken sleds. This is amazing that I get to do this again. Ready, let's go!