Meet the 2026
Mushers

Melissa Mendelson

Solon Springs, WI

I grew up in Cincinnati, OH. After discovering urban mushing, and that you only needed a single dog and a bike to start mushing, I purchased my first alaskan husky Ziggy. I spent several years in Ohio training and traveling far to race, but eventually the thought of another season without snow destroyed me. So I moved to northern wisconsin in 2021 to pursue mid-distance mushing, and it has been an amazing adventure ever since.

KENNEL NAME

Flight Risk Mushing

Website & social media

flightriskmushing.com

Bluesky- @flightriskmushing.bsky.social
Facebook – Flight Risk Mushing
Instagram – @flightriskmushing

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START RUNNING SLED DOGS AND HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED?

I have been interested in sled dogs from a young age, but I thought you needed to live in Alaska and have 10+ dogs to even start. My second year of college, I met someone who did urban mushing – and my world was opened! I learned you only needed one dog and a bike to mush, and the rest is history.

Meet the 2026Mushers