HUMAN

Name: Kai Leddy

Age: 30

Residence:  Talkeetna, Alaska

Occupation:  Dog Musher

Years involved with Iditarod: 4 years

Iditarod Roles: Handler for Dallas Seavey and a potential Iditarod rookie for 2023.

Current Location: McGrath, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 9, 2022

Temperature: 34F Outdoors & Snowing

What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?

I first became involved with the Iditarod when I moved to Talkeetna back in 2018 and I needed a job for winter, and someone posted on our local page that they needed someone to help with construction and taking care of dogs. And we pulled up and realized that we had applied to work with Dallas Seavey, and ever since we have just been absolutely enamored with the dogs and mushing, completely.

What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod? 

I’m here today, and I’m involved with the Iditarod because I worked with Dallas for the last few years. It’s really exciting to see his progress in the sport and hopefully break some records this year or the coming years. And I, myself, hope to run Iditarod one day, so it’s pretty exciting to see the dogs grow with me and with a kennel and see how we progress over time.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences.

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was seeing my babies come into McGrath. The dogs that are running on Chad Stoddard’s team this year are dogs that I have raised since the day they were born. From the day they were born to the starting line of restart, I have trained and taken care of these pups for the last three and a half years. And watching them pull into McGrath looking excited and ready to be here was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I miss them so much, but I’m so happy to be here in McGrath and be able to see them out on the trail.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is that I want to be with these dogs. I have struggled in the past year or so with my ability to run Iditarod, and I know the dogs can do it, they’re so incredible. And I don’t know if I can do it, but seeing them through this journey is, what I know for sure is that I want to be where they are. Whatever incredibleness they can do, I want to hang on and try to be wherever they end up being. And if that’s the Iditarod, then we’re going to run the Iditarod.