Iditarod Musher Profile 

Cindy Gallea, 58, grew up on a farm in Minnesota where she experienced the pleasure of the outdoors and the good feeling of interacting with animals. She began mushing in 1987 and moved to Montana in 1990 to mush dogs, enjoy the beauty of the State and for work. A graduate of St. Olaf College with a BS in Nursing in 1973 and from the University of Washington with a Master's in nursing in 1990; she now has been a nurse practitioner for 19 years. After seeing the 1996 finish of the Iditarod, she knew she wanted to run the Race. "I am a long-time dog musher, a mother of two adult sons, and a nurse practitioner. I cherish each of these aspects of my life and try to find a good balance for all of these. I run the Iditarod because it is an exhilarating physical and mental challenge in a place of extraordinary beauty and done with amazing canine athletes. But running Iditarod is something more-it is an opportunity to immerse oneself in some of the best and most basic aspects of life-natural beauty, canine companionship, interaction with others who understand why we do what we do, outdoor activity and a spiritual connection. She is a member of the Montana Mountain Mushers and says she enjoys hiking, exercise, outdoor activities, and peace & justice issues. Cindy has two adult sons, Jim, 29 (an Iditarod veteran) and Brian, 25.