Blake Freking, 36, was born in Minnesota. He was raised in Heron Lake and moved to Finland in 2003 in search of the best snowfall in Minnesota. He actually began mushing in 1998 and says, "I was fascinated by the Iditarod since reading Gary Paulsen's books during childhood." He has a degree in Mechanical Drafting and Design and has been employed as a technician by the U.S. Forest Service for the last five years. He is married to Jennifer who ran the Iditarod in 2008. Blake is a member if the Lake County Search and Rescue and Mush with P.R.I.D.E. He is married to Jennifer Freking, also an Iditarod veteran.