John Baker (musher) facts for kids
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Baker during the ceremonial start of the 2010 Iditarod
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Quniaq |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Katherine Keith |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Sled dog racing |
| Event(s) | Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race |
John Quniaq Baker was born in 1962 or 1963 in Kotzebue, Alaska. He is a well-known American dog musher. John is also a pilot and a motivational speaker. He is a proud member of the Inupiaq community. John Baker is famous for winning the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He finished the race in 8 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes, and 39 seconds.
Mushing Adventures
John Baker started mushing when he was 14 years old. He first raced in the Iditarod in 1996. He placed 22nd in that first race. By his third race, he was already finishing in the top 10. He stayed in the top 10 for six of the next seven years.
In 2002, he had his second-best finish, coming in 3rd place. He completed that race in 9 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 30 seconds. John also won special awards in 1998. These included the Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award. He also won the Regal Alaskan's First Musher to the Yukon Award. John competed in the Iditarod every year from 1996 to 2017. In the 2009 race, he finished in 3rd place. He usually races with 24 dogs.
John Baker is one of the few Alaska Native dog sled racers. He competes in the modern Iditarod race.
Life Outside the Trail
Besides mushing, John Baker works as a pilot. He also manages his family's air taxi business. He visits local schools to give talks. He inspires students as a motivational speaker.
John Baker lives in Kotzebue, Alaska. This town is on the coast of the Chukchi Sea. His extended family lives nearby. He also has a special fish camp and winter cabin. It is about 30 miles (50 km) away, across Kobuk Lake.
John has a son named Alex. Alex has also competed in the Junior Iditarod. John also has a daughter named Tahayla. John is married to Katherine Keith, who is also a musher. They got married after Katherine raced in the 2018 Iditarod. Together, they run four businesses and two nonprofit groups in the Kotzebue area.
John Baker has a unique family background. He is of Inupiat and Jewish heritage. His grandmother, Clara Rotman, was born in 1914. She was raised Jewish and loved her Jewish heritage. In 2011, John Baker made history. He became the first person of Jewish heritage and the first Inuit person to win the Iditarod.
