Don't be afraid of failure. If you don't succeed, so what? Is the world going to end? You will have the peace of mind of knowing that you tried without the looming regret of having never tried at all. Miriam OsredkarI think of the paths I could have taken in my life and then I look at the path I am on and I am just blown away. Miriam Osredkar
As the sun sinks below the horizon in Hambden Township, one of its natives is living her dream nearly 4,000 miles away under an anticipated night sky’s brilliant northern lights.
It’s glow reflects the spirit of a 38-year-old woman on a path to begin what is known as “The Last Great Race.”
“Quite honestly, it’s very surreal,” said Miriam Osredkar, who currently in Willow, Alaska. “I think of the paths I could have taken in my life and then I look at the path I am on and I am just blown away. I feel grateful, ecstatic and at the very present moment, exhausted.”
The Chardon High School alumn is set to race the world famous dog sled competition The Iditarod, which officially starts March 6 in Anchorage, Alaska, and ends in Nome, Alaska.
The 44th annual Iditarod is a long-distance race, about 1,000 miles long, frequently racing through blizzards, causing whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and gale force winds.
The current fastest winning time record was set in 2014 by Dallas Seavey with a time of eight days, 13 hours, four minutes and 19 seconds.
If life is an adventure, Miriam has ridden on a wave that would make most outdoor-enthusiasts think about adding more to their bucket lists.
Her adventures in dog sledding began 10 years ago after hiking and completing The Pacific Coast Trail, the more than 2,650 miles made famous in the best-selling book and film “Wild.”
“I began to realize a few things about myself — first, that I missed hiking with a dog,” said Miriam on her Iditarod fundraising website. “There is an unspoken language and bond between human and canine that is incomparable.”
Growing up in Geauga County, Miriam began her education at St. Mary School in Chardon. From a peacock named Prince Ali to a Husky named Tasha, countless pets roamed their family hobby farm.
“I don’t know where my sense of adventure comes from,” Miriam said. “Growing up, I never considered myself to be the adventurous one in the family. My four siblings and I spent a lot of time outdoors exploring the woods, swimming in our pond and just getting dirty.”
After graduation, she attended Lakeland Com-munity College and was awarded a scholarship, which led her to Oberlin College where she graduated with a degree in biology.
“She always loved animals, but it was a surprise when she informed us she was heading out to Wyoming where she had a job with Jackson Hole Iditarod,” said Miriam’s mom, Patricia, who resides in Chardon with her dad, Tony.
It was in Wyoming, by the grandeur of the Grand Teton National Park, that Miriam fell in love with the life of a musher. She lived there for about six years where she trained before moving to Alaska.
“Oh, we are so proud,” Tony said, adding they are both traveling to Alaska to support their daughter.
There are, on average, 16 dogs on each team, with at least five dogs pulling the sled at the finish line.
In the Iditarod race, dogs are marked in two ways, by the microchip identification system and by collar tags. Each tag has the bib number of the musher and a letter of the alphabet.
Dogs are usually Alaskan or Siberian Huskies, tested for endurance and strength.
Because Miriam works with a Norwegian musher, Joar Leifseth Ulsom, many of the names of her dogs are Norwegian. They are Bama, Rips, Tyttebar, Ruseren, Musen, Sokke, Juni, Tarzan, Viper, Dodge, Roros, Zippy, Chamomile, Prix, Mjuk and Embia.
“She flew last year to Siberia with two other teams to race along the Siberian coast with teams from Russia to promote sled dog racing,” Patricia said. “Miriam qualified two years ago to race in the Iditarod.”
A young Russian who was to drive a team was not able to make it and an offer was made to Miriam on the stipulation she come up with the roughly $11,000 to race. This led to a great deal of fundraising.
Miriam said she recently completed a series of back-to-back training runs with the dogs. Four hours on. Five hours off.
“The off hours equate to very little sleep for the mushers,” Miriam said. “So it goes, two weeks before the race.”
“I love (Alaska),” she added. “Wilderness abounds, The Northern Lights, mountains, ocean, glaciers, fishing. What’s not to love? I also love the adventurous, independent and can-do spirit of most Alaskans.”
The people of Alaska and the mushers welcomed Miriam, taught her and made her one of their own, Patricia said.
“We are so proud of her and can’t wait to see her off on this next great adventure. From Chardon to Nome, this is the stuff that dreams are made of,” she said. “We are so grateful to all of the friends and family who helped make this possible. If she has inspired or sparked an interest in just one heart to go off and find a dream, then whoo hoo, go for it.”
When offering advice to others who wish to fulfill their dreams, Miriam said, “Don’t make excuses.”
“The ducks will never be in a row. You may not have the time or the money or perhaps you have familial obligations,”?she said. “Dreams take time, dedication and sacrifice. Don’t be afraid of failure. If you don’t succeed, so what? It’s the world going to end? You will have the peace of mind of knowing that you tried without the looming regret of having never tried at all.”
