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Emily Wade
Emily is an 18-year-old senior at Wyoming Connections Academy (WYCA). She lives in La Barge, Wyoming. Emily is a competitive sled dog racer who is currently building a team for the 2012 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race. It is the longest sled dog race in the lower 48 states and the most competitive sled dog race in the world. Here is her story in her own words.
“Dogs have taken over my life. I don't do any of those normal teenager activities. I'm all dogs, all the time...and that's just the way I like it! I've raced a circuit of sprint races (20-45 miles) around Wyoming & surrounding states for three years (although I have been running dogs for almost seven). I'm currently building a team for the 2012 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race. I have been working towards this race for a long time, so that will be a big deal for me. Next year, I will be doing some bigger events (50-100 milers) with my "puppy" team (they'll be one and a half years old next season) in preparation for my first Stage Stop race.
Online school at WYCA works for me because I have a wild schedule. Training and racing sled dogs takes a lot of time and it is something that I could never have gotten into this deep if I was going to a regular high school. It takes me about an hour-and-a-half to do my dog chores every day, and between running a puppy team for training, and keeping my racing team in shape, I can be out training dogs for four hours on any given day. Also, because having 20 sled dogs is expensive, online school allows me to have a job. I love it because I can work on school when it is best for me and not be locked in a building all day long!
In five years, I see myself still on the runners behind a team! I want to go pro with sled dogs, because it's something that I love to do and I couldn't dream of life without having 20 crazy dogs around. I also really love to cook, so I would love to go to a culinary arts school to become a chef, at some point.”