By Herb Brambley
Target 2010 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail Finalist
Today I had the absolute privilege of hearing one of the top Iditarod mushers speak at the 2009 Iditarod Winter Teacher’s Conference. Aliy Zirkle is an inspiring speaker. I don’t believe anyone could listen to her talk and not feel the passion, love, and enthusiasm Aliy has for the sport of mushing. I know I was on the edge of my seat. Aliy didn’t grow up mushing dogs though. She didn’t start mushing until after college. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even live in Alaska.
How did she get to Alaska you might wonder? Well, she just happened to see a poster in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she was studying biology in college, which said, “Come to Alaska.” And so, she did. Now, I know that Alaska is pretty far north, but the town that Aliy went to work in was north of the Arctic Circle. I’ve heard of the Arctic Circle, but I wasn’t sure exactly where it was, so I looked it up on the Internet, and this is what I found. The Arctic Circle marks the southern extremity of the region on earth where you can experience the 24 hour day and the 24 hour night. Aliy was going to be living in the town of Bettles, AK. If I were you, I’d fire up Google Earth and take a closer look. So, Aliy used her expertise in biology to get to Alaska, and once she got to Alaska, she was going to have to use her math skills. Her job was to count the birds and insects that she saw around Beetles, AK.
So off she went to count. This was supposed to be a summer job for her, but she was offered a job for the winter also. That was great, but she needed some companionship and ended up getting a retired sled dog. She named the dog skunk because he was black and white like a Skunk. This is where she got the name for her kennel, Skunk’s Place.
Aliy ended up getting more dogs as time when on because she wasn’t very fond of the smell of burning oil and gas that a snow machine made. She also didn’t like the ringing of her ears that was caused by the loud motor. Now there’s a good question for you to find the answer to: how many decibels does it take to damage your ears? Also, what harmful gasses are produced by the burning of fossil fuels? Wow!!! I looked it up and I think Aliy made the right decision. A dog team is much healthier to ride behind and more pleasant also. Not only that, Aliy said the snow machine scared all the animals away. She was lucky to see the rump of a moose! Once she started traveling by dog sled she saw all kinds of animals. She was even able to follow a wolf for quite a distance before it spotted her. When it did spot her, it didn’t even run away. It just ran a little way up a cliff and watched her as she went by with her dogs. Now that is cool!!!
One thing led to another and soon Aliy’s dogs were having puppies and she decided to start training her dogs to race. She loves the feeling of being in touch with the dogs. When she’s going down the trail, Aliy and the dogs are not separate entities, they are a unit working together. Now there’s a good lesson: why is it so important to work as a team? For a lesson on Fortune 500’s Most Valued Characteristics in an Employee, go to the following web site. http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=13116
Ali did so well at this team work thing she became the first woman ever to win the Yukon Quest. Yeah Aliy!!!
As Aliy prepares for the Iditarod she has to plan ahead. She doesn’t know how cold the weather is going to be or what the trail conditions are going to be like. Aliy has to be prepared for anything Mother Nature throws at her. She has to pack boots, gloves, socks, long johns, neck gators, vet packs for the dogs, sled parts, runner material, chemical heat warmers, dog food, and food for herself. All of this weighs about 1800 pounds. Next, she has to ship all of her supplies to the various check points along the trail. Shipping costs about 55 cents per pound. Uh oh! I feel a math problem coming on. If Ali has to ship 1800 pounds of supplies, and it costs 55 cents per pound, how much does shipping cost her?
Well, the best part of Aliy’s presentation was yet to come. It’s the part that makes you get tears in your eyes and feel proud that you know Aliy. Someone asked Aliy how she prepares mentally for the race. Her answer was that she prepares all day, every day of her life. The daily routines she performs helps her toward her goal. She also said the harder you work toward a goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. And don’t give up!
You can be anything you want to be. Wow!!!! These are great lessons for kids to learn. I was glad I was there to hear her talk. She did a fantastic job. We’re pulling for you Aliy!
