Joanna Jagow, 17, started running dogs 10 years ago. “My dad had dogs and I loved the thrill of mushing.” She explains that from September through December, her family lives in a remote area on the Porcupine River where they hunt, fish and trap. While on the Porcupine, she is homeschooled. “We use our dogs for trapping and transportation during our stay on the Porcupine. When we come back to Fairbanks, I go to Lathrop High School and train the dogs for racing.” Currently a junior in high school, Joanna participates in track and field. She also enjoys her involvement in the Youth Court program, in soccer and in archery. She wants to go to college to study nursing and says she does plan to continue mushing.