Inspiring article about Susan Butcher, Iditarod winner extraordinaire
12 March 2026
Writer Laureli Ivanoff remembers in the late 1980s when Iditarod teams passed through her home village of Unalakleet. She was especially struck by musher Susan Butcher, who won the race four times between 1986-1990.
“She was the woman everyone was talking about,” Laureli remembers. “The woman a lot of men couldn’t stand. The woman who, along with Libby Riddles, another champion racer, inspired the sweatshirt that says: “Alaska… WHERE MEN ARE MEN and Women win the Iditarod.”
Looking back, Laureli rediscovers what made Susan Butcher so strong: “As an adult, Susan Butcher teaches me she was the best because she followed her own instincts of care. In a world where society values asserting control, exerting of power over others and using violence, she showed everyone that people can be excellent leaders and champions through nurturing, observation and response.”
Read more of Laureli’s beautiful reflection at https://www.hcn.org/…/a-champion-iditarod-musher…/
Photo: Susan Butcher laughing at the 1992 Iditarod finish line in Nome, WorldFoto/Alamy
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