2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, Annie Kelley mushes on Historic Iditarod Trail

Annie Kelley, the 2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail stood on the runners of a dog sled today and took a team of seven dogs down the trail. Not just any trail, Kelley ran on a short segment of the National Iditarod Historic Trail in Knik, Alaska and she has a certificate signed by Iditarod veteran mushers Charley Bejna and G.B. Jones to prove it.

Bejna and Kelley are both Illinois residents who reside in Chicago. Both are World Series Champion Cub’s fans. Kelley’s students sent Charley a good luck care package with student created cards as well as his favorite trail snack, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. In appreciation, Kelley was invited to visit Bejna’s Iditarod Trail Kennel.

Charley Bejna who for the past 25 years has operated Charley’s Landscaping in Addison, Illinois has signed up for his fifth Iditarod. His first attempt at Nome was in 2013. He covered 700 miles of the trail before scratching in Unalakleet. Finishing in 41st place in 2014, he earned the coveted finisher’s belt buckle. In 2015, for the idita-river Iditarod, Bejna improved to 34th place.

Considering the brutal cold the mushers experienced on the northern most section of the trail in 2015, it was no small feat for Charley to finish that race. Bejna is a type I insulin dependent diabetic. The extremely cold conditions presented serious challenges in keeping the insulin and insulin pump from freezing. In his Iditarod 2015 recap story Charley writes about the run between Galena and Huslia, “The temperature was pegged on the thermometer at -60 so it might have been colder than that. I was a little worried that my insulin pump or insulin might freeze, so I kept it under my clothing at all times.”

Charley has come to Iditarod through participating as a non-musher in the ceremonial start. He was an Idita-rider in Bruce Linton’s sled in 2007. He returned to ride Linton’s tag sled in 2008. As it turns out, Bejna and Linton have something in common besides the Idita-rider experience. LInton is also an insulin dependent diabetic. It seems that Bruce and Charley embrace the same mantra, diabetics can achieve anything as long as they take care of themselves, live a healthy lifestyle and have a positive attitude.

Before establishing his own kennel, Charley worked as a handler for Iditarod musher GB Jones and rode his tag sled in 2011. His desire to become a dog man was ignited when he first drove a small dog team with Jones.  Iditarod Trail Kennel located near the Historic Iditarod Trail in Knick is home for Bejna and his nearly 40 sled dogs. Bejna, age 43, describes himself as an adventurer. When he’s not landscaping, he’s exploring the most beautiful landscapes on earth with his dog team.

The portion of trail Kelley mushed on today was the same loop Charlie drove his first team on with Jones.