Photo Credit- Frank Kovalchek
Here we are for another Trail Word Tuesday! This week’s spotlight is on Kristy Berington! While you may not be able to tell her apart from her identical twin sister, Anna, they each have their own incredible mushing credentials. Kristy is a 14-time Iditarod finisher who has finished as high as 16th. A former member of the Army National Guard, she owns and operates “Seeing Double Sled Dog Racing” with her sister. She also does landscaping and construction in the off-season. She always has a smile on her face, loving what she does, and willing to talk to any fan. She is an inspiration to everyone around her! Check out these thoughts from Kristy Berington!
“Attitude is everything. I’ve heard so many sayings addressing this term as a youth in sports growing up, as a soldier and as a musher. A good attitude, and a bad one, is contagious, even within your dog team. Sometimes those dogs on the team that bark and lunge in their harnesswhen we take a short break on the trail are like cheerleaders. It may be the 4th quarter and you’re down by 10 points, but we are out here doing what we love, with who we love as a team. We have a litter of pups, aka the toy puppies, who always bark when we stop as to say, “Why did we stop, let’s goooooo!!” They do this all the time, in the rain, snow, wind or hours into a long run. And the whole attitude of the team seems to perk, find more energy and find the fun in what we are doing. Sometimes when you’re tired, cold, or your race isn’t going as planned, you’ve got to fake it, convince yourself that things will get better, that it could be worse, or focus on the things that are going right. Here are a couple quotes that inspire me to always try to have a good attitude….” -Kristy Berington
