caption birth_place image_size nationality spouse image article_title name occupation
aliy iditarod . zirkle during the ceremonial start of the 2010 new hampshire x250px american allen moore alaskan . jpg aliy zirkle on a mission -lrb- 4430281852 -rrb- aliy zirkle
 aliy zirkle sled dog musher
aliy zirkle

aliy zirkle -lrb- born 1970 in new hampshire -rrb- is a champion of sled dog racing .
aliy zirkle moved to bettles , alaska at age twenty and began mushing due to the remote nature of the town .
she adopted six sled dogs and began learning how to race and train dogs .
aliy raced her first yukon quest in 1998 and her first iditarod trail sled dog race in 2001 .
in 2000 , she became the first woman to win the yukon quest , finishing the race with a time of 10 days , 22 hours and 57 minutes .
aliy has been the runner-up in the iditarod three consecutive years , 2012 , 2013 , and 2014 .
her best time in the iditarod came in 2014 , when she finished the race with a time of 8 days , 13 hours , 6 minutes and 41 seconds .
aliy has finished the iditarod 14 times and the yukon quest 3 times .
she has completed either the yukon quest or the iditarod every year since 1998 .
aliy also regularly competes in shorter dog sled races , such as the two rivers 100 , the copper basin 300 , and the yukon quest 300 .
aliy has received various awards throughout her mushing career , some of which were awarded to her by her fellow mushers .
these awards include the yukon quest challenge of the north award , given to the musher who `` most exemplifies the spirit of the yukon quest , a spirit that compels one to challenge the country and win '' , and the iditarod leonhard seppala humanitarian award for exemplary care of her dogs .
aliy met fellow musher allen moore in 1998 and the two were married in 2005 .
aliy has two step-daughters , brigett and jennifer , through allen .
together aliy and allen run skunk 's place -lrb- sp -rrb- kennel in two rivers , alaska .
the kennel is named for skunk , one of the six dogs aliy adopted when she first moved to alaska and began mushing .
