Elementary teacher competes in Iditarod

To show her first grade students that characteristics such as ingenuity, determination, courage and cooperation can serve to accomplish almost any dream, local elementary school teacher Andrea Hobson Aufder-Heyde took to Alaska's 1,049 mile-long Iditarod trail two years ago in the annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Wednesday, the University Club hosted Aufder-Heyde, known as Finney, to speak about her experience.\nFinney said she decided to take an innovate approach to education when she worked to become the first "teacher on the trail."\nShe stressed that the trip was not a "vacation," but a challenging, learning adventure she was able to share not only with her students, but with children from all around Indiana.\nEvery year on the first Saturday in May, Finney said around 50 mushers line up to race the 1,049 miles of the Iditarod across the terrain of Alaska. The distance is symbolic of Alaska's standing as the 49th state in America. Prizes are awarded to the first 20 teams to finish the race, with the winner receiving around $50,000 in prize money.\n"I marvel at how mushers can keep their sanity on the last part of the trail because all you can see is white, white, white," Finney said. "Miles and miles of white."\nFinney said the health of the dogs is taken very seriously, and on the trail they are of supreme importance. She said all dogs wear booties to protect their paws from the snow and dampness.\n"Dogs are fed better and sleep better than the mushers," Finney said. "I was definitely the lowest on the totem pole out there. It was the dogs, then the mushers, then the volunteers at the checkpoints, and then, finally, me."\nBob Cutter, a University Club member and IU alumnus, said he admires what Finney has done.\n"I could never do what she did," Cutter said. "I particularly admire her for being a woman and doing this. One would have to be especially focused and driven."\nFinney said she was most impressed with the intelligence of the animals.\n"It's incredible how smart these dogs are," Finney said. "Once a dog has run the Iditarod, they never forget it. These dogs are born to pull. That's what they want to do. When you have sixteen dogs, it's like being hooked up to three tractor trailers."\nFinney said she was so fascinated with the amount of time it took to train and prepare the sled dogs for the race that she decided to return the following summer, and again last summer, to work with a female musher training the dogs.\n"Alaskan women are really tough and I think when she saw me, she saw this Midwestern lady who was the 'teacher on the trail' and really wanted to test me," Finney said. "When I arrived I was using a pick ax to clean around the area where the dogs lived and cleaning out the winter straw in the dogs houses with my bare hands."\nWhile working at the kennel over the summer, Finney said she found her own sled dog, Annui. Annui, Eskimo for "falling snow," joined Finney at the talk, much to the enjoyment of the audience.\nCutter said he thought it was nice to learn about Alaska since he thought it was a place many club members would be interested in visiting, but didn't know very much about.\nClub president Kate Kroll said the club decided to invite Finney to speak because of the unique way in which she communicated to children the importance of having skills such as courage, teamwork and determination to accomplish goals.\n"It's a lesson for all of us, not just the children," Kroll said.