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DOG MUSHER VISITS CHAPMAN'S RETREAT
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Franklin resident
Rodney Whaley shows students his dog sled during a
visit to Chapman's Retreat
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When it comes to hobbies, Franklin resident Rodney
Whaley stands out from the crowd. The Alaskan
native does something most Tennesseans would find
unusual. Whaley is an avid dog musher.
Actually, he is the first Tennessean to ever compete
in the Iditarod. Often referred to as The
Last Great Race, the Iditarod is a 1,159 mile sled dog
race across the Alaskan wilderness. On April
15, Whaley traveled to Chapman's Retreat to share his
adventures with a group of third grade students. To the delight of all the children, Whaley was
joined by one of his dogs, a Siberian Husky named Maverick. |
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The
child of Baptist missionaries, Whaley grew up in the
frozen land of Alaska where he developed a passion
for racing sled dogs at
an early age. "When I was in fourth grade I
got my first husky puppy," Whaley told the students.
"His name was Chena and I loved him to death."
Whaley showed the students photos of his dogs and
explained the difference between the various types
of husky breeds. He also gave them an up close
look at the actual sled he used in the Iditarod.
Despite moving to Tennessee as a young adult, Whaley
remained passionate about sled dog racing and
competed in events across the United States and
Canada. In 2007, Whaley decided to fulfill
a life-long dream of his and take part in the
Iditarod. |
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Students take turns
petting Mr. Whaley's Siberian Husky named Maverick |
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After several months of training, Whaley and his
team of dogs set off for Alaska in mid-February of
this year. The Iditarod Race always begins
with a ceremonial start in Anchorage, but the real
competition doesn't begin until the
next day when the mushers take off from the city of
Willow. Whaley had several friends and family
members accompany him to Alaska for the big event.
When it came time for the race to begin they all
sang Rocky Top as a way of showing their
Tennessee pride.
Whaley grew emotional as he explained to the
students the thrill he felt as the race began.
"When I was 10 years old, I would go to the races
downtown and dream someday of getting to do that,"
said Whaley. "It took me 46 years to finally
realize my dream." |
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Third grade students
get an up close look at Mr. Whaley's dog sled
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For
the next several days, Whaley and his team of dogs
traveled across some of the roughest, most beautiful
terrain Mother Nature has to offer. Add to
that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility
and treacherous climbs and you have a better
idea of
what they were up against. But in the end,
Whaley believes it was a bacterial infection that
brought an end to his dream of completing the
Iditarod. After making it almost halfway,
Whaley's dogs became very sick and it became
painfully obvious that they could go no further.
Whaley fought back tears as
he described his decision to drop out of the
Iditarod. "I knew that when we got to the city
of Cripple my dogs were too sick to go on," said
Whaley. "It was probably one of the most
difficult days I've ever had."
Whaley was flown with his dogs to Anchorage where
veterinarians treated them for the infection.
Exhausted and disappointed, Whaley returned home to
Franklin. He says taking part in the Iditarod
was one of the most amazing experiences of his life,
which is why he enjoys sharing his adventures with
others. |
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Mr. Whaley shows
students the coat he wore during the Iditarod |
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Important Dates
Monday-Thursday, May
19-22, Semester Exams
Thursday, May
22, Last Day for Students
For other
dates, check with each individual school
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