Meet the 2023
Mushers
Melissa Mendelson
Solon Springs, WI
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio where I was enamored with sled dogs from a young age, first learning about them from an artist I followed online. Through two trips to Alaska, I learned about the Alaskan Husky. In 2015, I met a local musher in Ohio and discovered dryland and urban mushing, and was instantly hooked. After a season bikejoring my friend’s dogs, I purchased my first Alaskan husky, Ziggy, and the rest is history. I graduated from Kent State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a minor in Art History. I run a business from home, selling my artwork online and at conventions, which allows me to spend as much time as I do training dogs.
KENNEL NAME
Flight Risk Mushing
Website & social media
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: Flight Risk Mushing
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START RUNNING SLED DOGS AND HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED?
I started when I was 20. I had already loved sled dogs for a long time, bolstered by my mom taking me on some tours in Alaska when I was younger. I couldn’t tell you when or where it started. I always assumed you needed 10+ dogs to start mushing, until I met a local urban musher…turns out all you needed was a bike and a dog!