Melanie Gould, 30, was born in Alaska, left the state and spent six years in Colorado as a massage therapist and then came back to live in 1998 because she "wanted to live the Alaskan lifestyle." In 1998, she met her partner, Iditarod veteran, Jerome Longo, who she says "got me into mushing." "I love to travel Alaska with my wonderful dogs. I enjoy the healthy competition and finishing with a healthy happy dog team." Melanie is a massage therapist and a cafe manager. She says her hobbies and special interests are fishing, gardening, building, music and yoga.