Ruff Wear Ambassador: Rachael Scdoris, Professional Dog Sled Racer
Rachael Scdoris, a professional dog sled athlete and Iditarod competitor, was born with a rare vision disorder called Congenital Achromatopsia, causing near sightedness, far sightedness, and colorblindness. Rachael has been legally blind since birth.
At a young age, Rachael made a decision not to let her impaired vision stand in the way of her dreams. Having been around dog sled racing most of her life, she dreamed of one day competing in the Alaskan Iditarod Sled Dog Race. At age 11, Rachael began racing sled dogs, and by age 15, she was the youngest athlete ever to finish the 500-mile Pedigree International Stage Stop Race in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Now in her twenties, Rachael has realized her dream of competing in the acclaimed 1,150 mile Iditarod—a total of four times!
The Iditarod, known as “The Last Great Race on Earth,” is one of the most physically and mentally challenging competitions in the world. In fact, more people have climbed Mount Everest than have finished the Iditarod.
In 2006, after 12 days, 10 hours, and 42 minutes, Rachael became the first legally blind athlete to finish the Iditarod. “It’s a year-round thing. Definitely a lifestyle sport,” says Rachael.
Rachael and her team raise, train, and race over 100 “Alaskan Husky” dogs as part of their annual Iditarod quest. The Ruff Wear gear the team uses varies from the Ruff Wear K-9 Overcoat™ and Cloud Chaser™ jacket, keeping the dogs warm in the sub-zero temperatures, to the Swamp Cooler™ cooling vest which Rachael uses to regulate the dogs’ temperatures and keep them cool during summer training.
