Alea, 17, began mushing at the age of 3 with her golden retriever and got her first sled dog when she was 7. This will be her second Jr. Iditarod. In 2012, Alea competed in the Arctic Winter Games, winning two silvers and a gold as well as a Fairplay Award. She won two seven dog Junior World Championships in 2012 and first place points. Alea says, “I have been mushing for about 14 years. I have been able to travel to many different places for mushing such as France, California, Montana and Canada. Most of my dogs come from Jessie Royer. I have competed in sprint and distance mushing. Although my dogs are originally from distance lines, they have also successfully run in sprints. Alea currently attends Alaska Pacific University in the Early Honors program. She originally attended Chugiak High School where she participated in Cross Country Running, Track and Field, and National Honor Society. She says she enjoys reading, hiking, running, horseback riding and anything involving the out of doors. She plans to go to college on the east coast and thinks she’ll “probably continue mushing after college graduation.