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.
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