Originally from Connecticut, DEBBIE CLARKE MODEROW came to Alaska in 1979 for a mountain climbing expedition and met her husband, Mark. For the Moderows, dog mushing has always been a family affair. Debbie ran the Iditarod in 2003 and 2005, completing the latter in 13 days, 19 hours, 10 minutes, and 32 seconds. In 2013, Debbie graduated from Pacific Lutheran University's Rainier Writing Workshop with an MFA in Creative Writing.