Melissa Owens
2005 Junior Iditarod Champion
Melissa Owens, a former Student Ambassador, slid across the finish line of the Junior Iditarod a full 30 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor last February, making her the 2005 junior champion.
The 15-year-old from Nome, Alaska, who spent nearly 25 hours on the 138-mile trail with her eight-dog team, has been mushing and training throughout her childhood. "I've been waiting to run the Junior Iditarod since I was nine years old," she said.
Owens trains her own team and helps support her racing habit by offering dog-sled rides to tourists during the adult racing season. In addition to helping care for the family's 28 dogs, Owens has a pet turkey and a pet goose.
