Iditarod Musher Profile

Bruce Linton, 47, was born in New York City and was raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He studied at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania where he received two degrees, one in Environmental Science and the other in Mathematics / Computer Science. Soon after graduation, Bruce worked as an Environmental Scientist near Boston and at the same time pursued his Master's Degree in Hazardous Waste Management at Tufts University. In 1994, he moved to Vermont and worked for the State of Vermont as an Environmental Analyst. In 1998, he began mushing and soon after started a dog sled touring business called Green Mountain Dog Sled Adventures. Green Mountain Dog Sled Adventures grew quickly and in 2004 Bruce resigned from his State job to run his sled dog touring business full time. Unexpectedly, the touring business took over his life and he realized that he couldn't live his dreams of training and racing his dogs while at the same time running his business. He made the big move from Vermont to Alaska in the summer of 2006 with his wife Melissa so that he could fulfill his lifelong dream of running the Iditarod. He has completed the last three Iditarods and has bettered his finishing position each year. In his spare time Bruce enjoys running marathons and competing in triathlons. He has completed 12 marathons, three Ironman triathlons, and hundreds of other athletic events. Bruce has managed to fulfill all of these accomplishments as a Type 1 diabetic which brings its own set of challenges. Bruce is committed to raise awareness about diabetes and to spread his message that diabetes can achieve anything as long as they take care of themselves, live a healthy lifestyle, and "dream big" with a positive attitude. Bruce believes that diabetes should not be limited by their medical condition and has renamed his kennel to align with that philosophy - No Limits Sled Dog Kennel. He has given talks about the Iditarod and living one's dream to thousands of children around the country and has been featured in several TV shows. When Bruce is not training his dogs or giving presentations, he is an Environmental Compliance Officer for Homer Electric Association. Bruce and Melissa have a 14 month old son named Brody and are expecting their second child in February 2010.