Zoya DeNure, 43 was born and raised in Wisconsin. She spent 12 years in the fashion industry working primarily as a runway & fashion model. In 2002, tired of the pressures and triviality of that lifestyle, she rented a storage unit in Madison, Wisconsin, stacked it with furniture, shoes, dresses, and headed to Alaska with a carry-on and the dream of running, living and breathing sled dogs. Her Siberian husky, Ethan, traveled with her.
Ethan has since passed, but the dream is still alive. Zoya is married to fellow dog driver John Schandelmeier, and now splits her time between homes at Maclaren River and Delta Junction, Alaska. She has two daughters; Jona, eleven and Olivia, six. The family operates a rescue/rehab facility for unwanted sled dogs and is striving to focus attention on positive training techniques. Zoya loves the sport of sled dog racing, enjoys time on the trail with her team. She says her hobbies are “running 1/2 marathons, fishing, yoga, travel working for herself, ministry study and family.”