2008 Iditarod Musher Profile

Laura Daugereau, 25, was born in Tennessee. She says she was raised around the world as a Navy "brat." The family moved to Port Gamble because it was her dad's retiring duty station. They started a construction business there involving three generations of their family. Laura's has been involved in the construction business for 12 years. She began mushing in 1994 as a hobby but it "progressed into a passion and a way of life." "For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for the outdoors and a love of animals. The old ways of living off of the land have been a constant source of intrigue; man fighting to survive through whatever obstacles come his way. Dog sledding is a combination of all of these things. It's just you and the team of dogs you've trained versus the elements of nature! There is not a thing in the world that compares to running through the cold dark night and seeing the sun rise and shine off the backs of sixteen of your best friends while silently moving down the trail the same way their ancestors have done for hundreds of years!" She says she has more adventures under her belt than most have in a lifetime. From the age of 13, she has worked forher family's business doing construction, home maintenance and remodeling in order to support her love of mushing. In addition to dog sledding, some of her other loves include playing drums, riding and tinkering with her motorcycle, working on her live-in tree house, reading and enjoying God's great playground. She has been working with Rick's Racing Rovers for the last two years and will team up with them again for the 2008 race season. With the help of the Larsons, her family, friends and those who believe in what she does, "I will be first woman to represent Washington State in Alaska's great race, the Iditarod."