Newton Marshal, 29, was born and raised in Jamaica. He has been a tour guide for the last 10 years. He says he came to Alaska for a vacation this summer and ended up signing up for the 2013 Iditarod. He began mushing in 2005 and ran the Yukon Quest in 2009, thus began the dream of running the Iditarod. He finished the Iditarod in 2010 and scratched in 2011. “I want to do the Iditarod because I want to do better in the Race and finish with a good dog team. Mother Nature teaches you how to take care of yourself and take care of the dogs to survive in the wilderness. I like the feeling because it’s just me and the dog team. I love running dogs because it’s the first sport I fell in love with.” Newton says he likes the warm sun but the cold teaches one how to get tough. “I never got the opportunity to go to school much. I want to show kids from Jamaica or anywhere in the world that if you want something, you have to go get it yourself. The results can be endless.” When asked about hobbies, Newton says, “I love horseback riding.”