Brian Wilmshurst, 33, of Dawson City, Yukon, began competing in sled dog races in 2009, just one year after stepping on the runners for the first time. Since then, he has run several mid-distance races, and finished three consecutive Yukon Quests, picking up a couple of Vet Care awards and Sportsmanship awards along the way. Brian was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, but in 2004, he and his wife Melissa headed north for a road trip and landed in Dawson City to work for the summer. They immediately fell in love with the community and the landscape and made a pact to return to Dawson to make it home for good; after a couple of visits back, they made the permanent move in 2006. While working as a tour guide one year, Brian had the opportunity to attend the Yukon Quest Start Banquet and watch the mushers take off from the start line. He was instantly drawn to the adventure and excitement of sled dog racing and returned home with plans to purchase a sled and a couple dogs. Brian’s love for new traveling adventures with his dogs lead to his decision to try out long-distance racing. Running the Iditarod has been a long-time goal, and he is looking forward to seeing the coast of Alaska and having a good time on the trail with his dogs.