A few months before leaving the Navy, my beloved dog Frank, who I rescued from Afghanistan, tragically passed away in a car accident. Losing Frank was incredibly difficult, and I felt like I would never connect with a dog in the same way again. However, reading Gary Paulsen’s book “Winter Dance,” which centers on the Iditarod, sparked an idea…perhaps I could find that special bond with a team of sled dogs while running this challenging race.

My wife and I decided to turn this dream into a reality. We moved to Alaska in 2017, where I learned the art of dog mushing from Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore while handling for SP Kennel. After that first season, my wife and I acquired dogs from SP Kennel and purchased property along with 6 dogs from Sebastian Schnuelle; giving birth to Frozen Trident Kennel. Over the next few years, we expanded our kennel alongside growing our family, juggling puppies and babies. We diligently worked toward qualifying for the Iditarod, and last year, we completed our final 300-mile qualifying race, bringing us one step close to our main goal…running the Iditarod.