Meet The Mushers

Photo by Paul Cyr

Husband, Keith, and I along with the kids, enjoy all things outdoors. We spend most of our time outside running dogs, hunting, fishing, or in the garden.

In 1987 While on a free run chasing my van, my three huskies took off after some whitetail deer, ended up at Leon Wellman's chicken coop about three miles away and killed all 16 chickens. When I went to pay him he told me over cake and coffee that I should be running those dogs on a sled to keep them under control. He gave me a homemade sled and three harnesses and showed me how to run a three dog gangline with a single leader. I ran in front of them to get them to pull the sled to the end of my road where we accidentally found the "chicken trail". From there they seemed to know what to do and I rode the sled right to Leon's house. I was invited in for cake and coffee to give an account of my very first tail of the trail. Later I drove the dogs back home and we were off. I was infected for life.

I've been dog sledding for 14 years. I work as a paramedic full time plus. Being with my dogs is where I feel most as home. I live in the outskirts of madawaska with my 30+ dogs, my very supportive and loving husband, ryan along with Oscar and ginger, the managers of our teams.

I've run Can-Am 250 and 100 a number of times and always enjoy returning and seeing so many familiar faces. It's been a few years since I've run the 250 and I'm very much looking forward to returning to what's always a challenging trail! I run a mixed team of purebred siberian huskies and alaskan huskies, most of whom are of multi-generation Sibersong lineage. Many of the dogs on the team this year are young and have never done a race of this length, so my only goal for this race is to get as many of them as I can to the finish line with a positive experience. And also not to hurt myself this time haha!



Team Sibersong would like to thank our many dog sponsors as well as our major sponsors this year: Michael Bergmeier, #UglyDogs, Larry Lubonty & Dana Kevelder.

I am back after a open hearth surgery last winter. I am one of the last who run the canam 250 with pure bred siberian husky. I have finshed the 250 7 times on 7 attempts ( never scratched).I have the record of 5 red lantern award. My goal is to finish the race with a healthy team. very glad to be at Fort Kent in march to meet my mushers friends and the people of the maine.

Im a 6th generation Tennesseean that always said "Im gonna live where there's lots of snow when I grow up." when I was a kid.

After serving in the US Marines, I moved to Maine. For the past 25 years I have bred, and worked Seppala Siberian Sleddogs, a heritage breed with deep roots here in Maine.

I wasn't serious about racing until after my 285 mile solo expedition in 2021. That's when I got bit by the distance bug.

Since then, Can-Am champion Don Hibbs has been a great mentor to me.

Last season, I had the privilege to train and race with Iditarod champion, Mitch Seavey's A team in Alaska. I learned so much from him. I continue to grow exponentially under their gracious guidance.

This will be my second Iditarod qualifier.

I want to thank my sponsors- particularly NATIVE Performance Dog Food and the Continental Kennel Club. Thanks to the dedicated board and volunteers of the Can Am for providing a race that has become an annual tradition for my family. Thanks to my wife and children for standing in the gap during the winter months so that I can pursue my dreams. Thanks to my amazing Seppalas and their deep spirit. And, finally, I want to God for creating a beautiful world, and giving us the mind to appreciate and explore it.

Je pratique le sport depuis 2013. Ce que je préfère le plus du traîneau à chiens, c'est de partager la passion des chiens avec celle que j'aime , et la liberté de voyager les sentiers en symbioses. I Love to race in Fort Kent , Can-Am week-end also means meeting amazing friends , mushers and people every year . Thanks again so much to my host family Jeff and Margaret for sharing their home with us . Thanks to my sponsors Nessa Massage Canin and Selina Eudora dog booties .

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 2019 I won it for the 10th time, six in a row. I did the race circuit in the North East Africa, but in 2003 I realize one of my dreams by running 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.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.

I was in the 5 th grade when I got my first sled dog ride. Ever since I've been hooked. Ive raced all over. I'm the 4 time champ at the Beargrease. Also I've ran the Iditarod 4 times finishing it all 4 times. I was rookie of the year in 2014 at the Iditarod finishing in 17 th out of 85 competitors. I've race the can am several time my best finish was 3rd in 2010. I scratched last time I was out in FT. Kent in 2011. I'm here to redeem that scratch. My team has been out In Ft. Kent in 2012 my Dad (vern) raced I do believe he was top five. Last year my team was mushed by Nick Vigilante and came in 6 th with an amazing field of mushers. I'm recovering from hip surgery I had a year ago and this will be my first race on it. Let hope I can walk at the end of the race lol.
My plan is to keep on mushing!!!

I'm 14 years old and I've been running for 5 years. I've enjoyed raising and training my own litter with my dad. I love the adrenaline and being in the outdoors with my dogs.

Passionate about the outdoors and adventure, me and my dogs love exploring new trails. Sled dog racing has always been a passion of mine. The adrenaline that each departure gives me is unimaginable.

Couple years ago my goals was to race a 100 miles race. I did it twice last year. Finishing 12 at Can Am. I also ran to Muchdocville at la Chic Choc. I did a crazy 65 miles run to get there. Today, I hope to get a better result.

j'aime bien partir seul en forêt avec mes chiens, je pratiques la chasse la pêche et la trappe, et j'adore Fort Kent !

J'en serai à ma troisième participation à la Can Am !! Je suis très content de revenir ici pour cette fois terminer ma première 100 miles.

Je suis fier d'avoir ma grande fille de 13 ans avec moi pour sa première course de traîneau à chiens cette année !!

Thanks a lot to all of the organisation an the volunter !!

j'aime entrainer les chiens voir leurs progrès, sur la trail plus rien existe, ces le moments présents , les chiens rien d'autre!

I owned a small kennel of 36 dogs in Gaspe's Peninsula. I've been practicing dog mushing for a long time but I started to race last year. It's gonna be my first 100 mile race.

Happy to be back to Fort Kent and see old friends including my wonderful host family the Saunders!

Always here at this beautiful race, whith friends and the most beautiful sports, dogsleeding!!

This is our second year of racing, and we are excited to be back in Fort Kent. We live for the moments we become part of the forest, traveling the woods by sled.

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 11th Can Am race, and I'm happy to be here. I've raced the 250 and the 30 over the years, and seem to have settled into the 100 as the race I like the most. Thank you to the hardworking volunteers who put this race together every year, the sponsors who support the race, and to my wonderful host family the Audiberts. Home is the mountains of northern New Hampshire, which are great training for the mountains of northern Maine. My day job is working in land conservation, and I have been lucky enough to race on land I helped conserve for public access. Many thanks to superstar handler Brianna (who is racing her 3rd Can Am 30) and my wonderful partner Chuck for helping keep dogs happy, healthy, and well trained, and to the neighbors and volunteers who help keep trails open and groomed and maintained so we have great ground to train on. Looking forward to racing on the Can Am trail with my beloved teammates, and let's see if I can catch Flo Shaw this year!

I can't wait for my second year of racing. My goal this year is to finish my two 100-mile races and then be able to participate in the 200-250 miles,

love dog race

I run with huskies of which Balto has his original father from Doug Willet

I'm mushing since I have 8 yo and I began racing at 12. Dogs are my passion and I want to race for a long time in the future

I race with my daughter since many years and we love learning about dogs and mushing

I first raced in Fort Kent in 1993 in the 250 mile race. I was 32 years old at the time. Next year will be 32 years since that race. I hope to enter the 250 once again at 64 years old to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the first time I raced in Fort Kent.

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 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.

I live in Caribou Maine with my wife Tracy and Kids. I have spent several years volunteering at different checkpoints and have always loved watching mushers and their dogs. I ran the Can AM 30 last year and had a blast. I am excited to be back this year and will try to take less videos and selfies and try to beat last years time. I want to say Good Luck to my Beautiful Wife Tracy as she is also running in the 30 mile race this year. See you all at the Finish Line. May all the mushers be safe on the trails..:)

This is my family's 5th year racing. We absolutely love our hounds, and how easy they are to work with. Our whole family is involved with getting race ready.

j'ai 33 ans je suis tres content d'etre a la can-am pour la premiere fois pour conduire une equipe pour le chenil sdi racing kennel.
j'ai 35 chiens dans mon chenil a moi dans les annee a venir je veut faire des courses d'open et mid distance.

I am 33 years old I am very happy to be at Can-Am for the first time to lead a team for the SDI Racing Kennel.
I have 35 dogs in my own kennel in the coming years I want to do open and mid distance races

I was born and raised in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When I was 16, I got my first job working for a tour kennel. Fast forward 10 years, I've ran hundreds of sled dogs and met some pretty incredible friends along the way. This is my 4th year working for Shady Pines Sled Dogs. We've had a blast raising the latest group of pups and I'm beyond excited to take them racing! When I'm not wrangling the chaos of a yearling team, I am at home with my pack of retired sled dogs. I run Over the Hill Senior Dog Sanctuary, an in-home rescue for senior and special need dogs.

Twelve years ago I got into this sport because of my dog Dakota. She loved to run. Dakota passed away last summer at the age of 13. I dedicate today's race to her. This is my third year participating in the Can-AM 30. I love being out on the trails with my dogs and the other mushers. I plan to move to Alaska in the future.

I jute love can am! The race, the community and my host family of course.

Hi, I'm happy to be back competing in one of my favorite races! After a fun season racing in Alaska and making many dreams come true we are happy to be back home in Maine! Me and my kennel love this race and we'd like to thank everyone who helps put this race together. Without each and everyone of you putting in countless hours of hard work we wouldn't have this amazing race that truly brings the community together, so thank you all! I'd also like to thank my dogs for all they do for me. They are all so incredible and each and everyone of them have helped shape me into the musher I am today. I'd like to dedicate this race to my superstar leader Jack, my mighty little Gilly girl, my forever goofy DuckDuck and my little man Cobweb. All four of you are greatly missed and I know you'll be out on the trail with me today.

Everything is so fine and I am so happy to be here, like every time.............but.............if I could have an Handler, someday, would be even Happier!...............Thanks to all off you for this race, mushers, public, volonteers, everyone!.

I am very happy to participate in my first 30 miles with the Can-Am Crown !! I learned to dog sled before I even walked. Dogs are my greatest passion. It is a great privilege for me to live this experience with my father who is participating in the Can-Am 100. My greatest wish is to enjoy the trail and that my dogs finish the race happy and proud of themselves !!

For eleven years I was the trail boss for the Musher's Bowl Dog Sled Races in Bridgton, Maine. I helped build the race course. During that time I ran several dog teams. This is my first distance race and my first time running the Can-Am. I gained the opportunity to race today when my sister broke her ankle training these dogs for this race. Sorry Sis, I get to see this course before you.

This is my first time at CanAm and I am very excited to be here. It is great getting back on the runners after a very long hiatus! I love building relationships with the dogs and seeing the progress from all the hard work that is put in training to get us to this point. Thank you to all the people that have worked hard to make this event happen!

This is my fourth time running the CanAm 30! We are so happy to be back, and love to drag along our friends to compete with.




Thank you to the organizers, volunteers competitors and spectators for keeping this fantastic race going.

I LOVE the CanAm! This is a beautiful and challenging course that we look forward to running each year. I'm incredibly grateful to my fantastic mentors, Ingrid and Patty. They are generous with both their time and knowledge. You ladies make dreams come true. Shout out to my wife who started with "one dog", then we got 2 more...and now here we are building our future kennel--good thing you like me! Thank you for your patience and unwavering support. Somewhere out there, is my mom Sally, my Step Dad George and our dear friend Pam who have made the long drive to come cheer us on--i REALLY appreciate you! And, of course, the DOGS! What a great sport that I get to spend my time in beautiful places, gliding by on snowy paths, enjoying the company of these loveable canine athletes. They are both fiercely loving and fiercely competitive.

Just love running and being with my dogs

I love dog since im a young kid and i've watched Balto movie. I can't imagine my life without dog and sledding. i put them in first in my life.

"Be Adventurous" has been Aubrey's slogan!!! Aubrey has been mushing since she was about 5 years old and did her first race. She got the bug and was attending dog races since she was less than a year old and fell in love with the sled dogs!! She spends her summers working summer sled dog tours at MIDog adventures and lives and breaths sled dogs. She also runs track and cross country for her middle school which was inspired from her dogs as she does anything to have fun with them and keep them in shape. Aubrey has goals of racing the junior Iditarod in 2025!! Aubrey and her team try to keep everyone updated on Facebook, instagram and TikTok for those that want to follow her adventures online!!!

It's an honor and a privilege to share my life with these incredible dogs.

I have been to this race twice as a handler for my dad and I am exited this year I have the chance to be able to run in the race with him. I hope that I am able to complete the race and have a fun time with my dogs.

I'm happy to be back to one of my favorite races, and to be able to run it with my daughter. I hope to have a lot of fun on the trails with my dogs.

I moved to Maine from Virginia almost 5 years ago now and the Can Am Crown 30 mile race was the first race I had ever run. It's my dream is to run the Iditarod someday.




I couldn't do all that I do without my family and close friends, they support and encourage me to follow my dreams even if they don't quite understand them, and I'm so thankful for that; but most importantly I wanted to thank my dogs. Without them I truly wouldn't have a purpose and I certainly wouldn't be where I'm at today!

I am 16 years old and live in Fort Kent, Maine. I began learning about dog sledding while volunteering for the Can Am sled dog race with my family. Two years ago I decided to give mushing a try and loved it. I ran the Can Am 30-mile last year and came in 5th place. I am really looking forward to running more races this year now that I have my own team of dogs, Zia, Rocket, Sky, Racoon, Star, Doug, and Rocky.

This is my second time coming to Can Am and I am so excited to be back. Last year I had a very memorable race borrowing two of Sibersong's leaders Felicity and Kona, which I am beyond thankful I had the opportunity to have two such very special lead dogs for my first Can Am. We accomplished what we set out to do by having a blast on beautiful trails and finishing with tight tugs and wagging tails. It was an incredible come back for those two that we thought would never run again after suffering a tragic accident, much less at the competitive level of Can Am, but they showed us the incredible spirit, fortitude, and pure joy that only Sleddogs possess. I am running a purebred Siberian team of my dogs and Sibersong's dogs again this year and am looking forward to making more happy memories on this trail.

I have been training sled dogs for 11 years and have had so many adventures with these amazing dogs. This will be my 7th Can-Am Crown race, and to date, this is my favorite event to participate in. I would like to thank the organizers, volunteers and sponsors who work tirelessly to put on this race. In addition to running dogs, I am studying Game and Digital Media Design at Southern New Hampshire University and work as a substitute teacher. I enjoy running, kayaking, woodworking, and spending time outdoors.

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 26 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. It is just that our village is more of the 4 legged kind.
While it is countless hours caring for 26 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!

This will be my first race ever! I am an inspector for GE aerospace and I am an avid outdoors enthusiast. I have always been in love with dogs so when my partner offered me to race a team of dogs at the Can Am Crown I immediately accepted! I am eager to participate in the event and look forward to meeting the Can Am mushers and their amazing dogs!

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

I'm a mom of 2 young crazy boys and a wife of a superhero husband. With their loving support they have supported me in my goal to become a musher and make a home for 11 dogs and counting in nh. This is my first year racing and have a lot to learn,but I'm finally living my dream.

Fayth is a certified veterinary technician who has been involved with the Can-Am volunteering with the veterinary team since 2012. Last year she ran the Can-Am 30 for the first time. 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 is a recreational musher helping to train sled dog teams and assisting sled dog kennels. She lives at home with her three Siberian Huskies and loves hiking and adventures with her dogs.

I'm really excited to finally come to the Can Am and participate in the 30. I have a very young team of yearlings, two and three year olds who haven't raced a 30 yet, so we will be taking it easy and make sure they have a enjoyable experience.





I live with my partner and kids in Westmoreland New Hampshire, where we have sled dogs, sheep and a couple of cats.