Victoria Hardwick, the final musher to reach the Burled Arch

At 1:51 this afternoon, Victoria Hardwick crossed the finish line in Nome, AK, and earned herself the honorable Red Lantern Award. The Red Lantern is given to the last musher who crosses the finish line and completes the Iditarod. Victoria, an Iditarod rookie, was the 39th musher to successfully travel the approximate 1,000 mile southern route during this year’s race. 

The Red Lantern is a symbol of perseverance and determination. The Iditarod challenges mushers both physically and mentally and it requires mushers to problem-solve, push forward, and exert all of their efforts. Every year brings with it a different set of unique challenges and circumstances. Though this may be the case, one thing that is certain is the fact that this race is no easy feat.

Congratulations to every musher this year–both finishers and those who had to make the difficult decision to scratch from the race! 

***Teachers*** Review and define the term perseverance with your students. Have them write about a time when they had to persevere.