Lara, 15, found her dad’s old stuffed husky in their basement when she was five. She says that then, ” I fell in love with Siberian Huskies.” She started mushing when she was 10 and says “My passion for mushing only grew when I learned more about the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest and the bond between mushers and their dogs that only comes through training and racing a dog team.” She started out with shorter races, running the Can-Am Crown 30 mile class in 2015 and 2016, and finishing 4th against “very tough competition.” Last winter she ran the 100 mile class in the Can-Am and finished fifth, with all 10 of her dogs and was “the top rookie, the top female finisher, had the top Siberian team, and was the youngest ever to compete in that event at the age of 14.” She has been home schooled the past two years so she has been able to help care for and train the dogs. A sophomore this year, she enjoys art, reading, being outside, running, archery, skiing, and biking and tries to keep up with cross country track and band, which she did while in public school. She plans to attend a local college so she can stay near her dogs and is interested in a career that involves art or environmental work, she says she plans to continue mushing and hopes to complete both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest at least once during her mushing career. She says, “Our dogs are part of our family and we cycle through who gets to come inside to lay oon the furniture, eat peanut butter kongs and enjoy some one on one time with us.”