The heroes and heroines that have been featured in these stories thus far are made of some pretty tough stuff. The same is true for DeeDee Jonrowe. Have you created a definition for heroine? How is a heroine different from a hero? If you’ve done your research, you’ll realize they are the same except hero refers to a male and heroine refers to a female. Some sources say that hero is a gender-neutral term so it’s okay to bestow the honor of “hero” upon a woman. That’s what I’ll do.

When it comes to Iditarod, DeeDee Jonrowe is like the energizer bunny – she just keeps on going. We’ve elected DeeDee to hero status because of that, because she’s a cancer survivor, because of her popularity as a musher and because she is renowned for her excellent dog care. 2012 was her 30th preparation for the race to Nome. In all of those runs, DeeDee has finished in the top 10 at least fourteen times, placing 2nd three times. She has the fastest time for a woman in the history of Iditarod. We’ve heard many DeeDee stories from our handler. Here are a few of our favorites that show her determination, energy and perseverance.

In the fall of 1996, DeeDee was in a terrible car wreck. She and her husband suffered life-threatening injuries and her grandmother was killed. It was 20 below and they were trapped in the mangled car for a long time until workers arrived with the jaws-of-life to cut them out. It took DeeDee and her husband months to recover from their injuries. In the mean time, friends trained her dogs and had them ready for her – if she was ready to run Iditarod. She was ready and she crossed the finish line in 4th place. What a woman!

In the summer of 2002, DeeDee was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent extensive surgery and received her last dose of chemotherapy in January, just a few weeks before the race. Similar to 1997, friends trained her dogs so they’d be ready – if she was ready to run. She was ready and with nothing less than monumental determination, DeeDee arrived in Nome in 18th place. While her body was mending, she ran the race to heal her mind and spirit. The astounding beauty.,the rugged trail, the support of the volunteers, the encouragement from the villagers and the unconditional love she and her dogs share played a significant role in restoring her health. It’s not surprising that DeeDee was chosen by fellow Iditarod competitors to receive The Most Inspirational Musher Award for her courageous run to Nome in 2003.

Handler saw DeeDee in action at the start of Iditarod 2005. Ten minutes before her start time, she was just sitting around talking with folks. The gangline was laid out and the sled was packed but there were no dogs or harnesses in sight. DeeDee didn’t even have her anorak on. Most other teams had been hooked up 15 or 20 minutes before their start time. Didn’t DeeDee know it was her turn to go? With just two minutes remaining, DeeDee stood up and pulled her anorak on and from out of nowhere came sixteen handlers, each holding a harness. They went to a specific door on the dog box, brought a dog out, harnessed it and hooked it to the gangline. In just 20 seconds, the dogs were harnessed, DeeDee was dressed and standing on the runners ready to head to the starting chute. Her dogs didn’t experience any of the pre-race stress that other dogs experience from being harnessed too early. This amazing demonstration of confidence, organization and dog management is so DeeDee.

The list of awards that DeeDee has received is was too long to cover. As a sled dog, a few really stand out in my mind. She’s received the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award for excellence in dog care, the Best-cared for Team Award, the Best Dog Care Award and (I like this one) the Dog’s Best Friend Award. DeeDee is one of the founding members of Mush with P.R.I.D.E. That’s an organization that sets standards for all aspects of sled dog care. We’re planning to read her book, Iditarod Dreams. You can read more about DeeDee in Lew Freedman’s Iditarod Classics and at www.deedeejonrowe.com.

DeeDee could write volumes about excellent dog care, the value of teamwork, being a survivor, perseverance and overcoming adversity. Standing at just 5’2” she shows everyone that it’s not the size of the person, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Born to Run,
Sanka