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Jack of All Trades, Master of Nothing ![]() |
I met Jeff King several years ago and have always followed him in the Iditarod. I was bummed to hear that with his sudden illness he wouldn't be running this year. But Sean Underwood will be running Jeff's team this year. https://www.ajc.com/sports/atl...ByhNESHDZSJQhPfb8MIw Atlanta native gets last-minute chance to race in Iditarod STATE REPORT 14 hours ago By AJC Sports Sean Underwood is no longer an understudy. The Atlanta native will take the leading role in the Iditarod. Underwood had hoped to debut in the world-famous sled dog race next year. However, the 28-year old will compete this year following emergency surgery to his mentor and last-minute approval for serve as a replacement.The approval came Tuesday with unanimous consent from the qualifying review board of the Iditarod Trail Committee. Underwood will replace four-time champion Jeff King, who underwent surgery for a perforate intestine Monday. He will be driving a team of dogs from King’s Husky Homestead kennel for the race that begins Saturday. He has worked for King as a handler since 2016, training and racing the team.“Imagine that phone call with my mom, ‘Hey, by the way, I’m running the Iditarod in three days,’ ” Underwood told the Anchorage Daily News.“This is an unbelievable accomplishment,” Jack Underwood, Sean’s father, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We are so proud of our son Sean. Who he is as a person and his connection and commitment to the canine athletes is humbling. It's also admittedly emotional to see your son taking such an iconic athletic journey.”Underwood grew up in Tucker, attended St. Pius High School and graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in economics. He went to Alaska in 2015 to work with his aunt, uncle and cousin commercial fishing for sockeye salmon on Kodiak Island. Two years later, his uncle and aunt put him in touch with their good friend, King, and Underwood was hired to be part of his crew.“I got a job scooping poop for him, and I slowly got to working with the dogs and gained more and more responsibility every year,” Underwood told the Anchorage Daily News.Now, he will compete in the 1,000-mile race. Underwood had qualified for next year’s Iditarod after finishing seventh in qualifying race the Yukon Quest 300 in February. The debut is now sooner than expected. “I definitely know that people with less experience have done the Iditarod,” Underwood told the newspaper. “So I definitely feel confident. I know how to take care of the dogs, I know how to feed the dogs and I’m running Jeff King’s team.“That doesn’t mean I’m not stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and nervous.” My daughter can deflate your daughter's soccer ball. | ||
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Green grass and high tides ![]() |
Nice, I root for Jesse Holmes too. "Practice like you want to play in the game" | |||
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I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not |
I will be rooting for my usual! BIL. He took a snow hook to the head a while back in a freak mushing accident! Hope he is safe because my wife is going to be a wreck!! https://iditarod.com/race/2020...s/372-Kelly-Maixner/ | |||
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Drill Here, Drill Now![]() |
Dallas Seavey was the one I had spent the most time talking to during my 5 years in Anchorage. Too bad he isn't racing this year. Also, met Aliy Zirkle several times and I always root for her. She had that 3-year string of finishing 2nd when I lived there, and I'd like to see her win one. Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. | |||
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I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not |
Dallas is a class act for sure. My BIL is actually mushing his dog team. So that is pretty cool. | |||
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Drill Here, Drill Now![]() |
Ronin, that is really cool. Dallas was really passionate about his dogs and the genetic line him and his time had established. Having Dallas' dogs probably increased Kelly's odds. Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. | |||
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I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not |
They didn't hurt his chances..thats for sure. He had a accident a couple of months ago while mushing and sustained a head injury. The fact that he is competing at all is impressive. | |||
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