Watkins shares Iditarod experience

Topeka native Steve Watkins, 41, is a graduate of West Point Military Academy, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Afghanistan, a candidate for Congress and one of a handful of Kansans who has climbed Mount Everest.

Watkins — whose father, Steve Watkins Sr., grew up in Holton — has also participated in the Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska, and last Friday, he brought the experience of the thousand-mile race, along with a four-legged member of his racing team, to Jackson Heights Elementary School.

“One of the things that I love about dog sled racing is the connection that I feel to the pack,” said Watkins as he talked about his experiences in the Iditarod while introducing Viking, an 11-year-old Husky mix who has raced in six Iditarod races, to JHES kids.

“He’s the LeBron James of the sport,” Watkins said of Viking.

For more information, log into your Holton Recorder account or subscribe at www.holtonrecorder.net/subscribe-holton-recorder