Mille Porsild joins an elite group of athletes this year as she journeys to Alaska to compete in the Last Great Race on Earth – The 2021 Iditarod. The wild Alaskan territory may seem daunting to most, but not to Mille.
A seasoned musher, the Danish adventurer has made over 16 long-haul expeditions through the circumpolar Artic with freight dogs. The Iditarod Race is quickly becoming familiar territory for Mille. She took on Alaska’s most grueling race last year as a rookie and added “Iditarod Rookie of the Year” to her resume with her 15th place finish. Porsild is one of a handful of women to claim the title in the race’s 48 year history.
The Iditarod presents many challenges along the way – sub-zero temperatures, blizzards, and gale-force winds. Mille expects her gear to live up to the weather and protect her from the Artic conditions. She was introduced to Woolpower in the early 2000’s at an Outdoor show in Utah. Her GoNorth! Adventure Learning team received the Long Johns 200 and 400 as part of a sponsorship and as they say the rest is history. “Until that point, we had been wearing synthetic long underwear. I never have since. 20 years later, I am wearing the long johns from back then – amazingly still the best’ said Porsild ‘I have truly benefitted to such an extreme extent from the Woolpower products — my second skin basically — that allows me to do what I do.”
Mille and several other explorers founded GoNorth! Adventure Learning as a way to connect classrooms with their experiences on the trail. It’s a unique way for students to experience the Artic and explore topics like: dog mushing, sustainability, the environment and traditional cultures. Each year, she heads out on an Artic expedition with 22 Polar Huskies and millions of students worldwide tuning in.
With the Iditarod quickly looming on the horizon, the team at Woolpower US thought it would be a great time to upgrade Mille’s well-loved gear. We shipped a box up to Alaska with a few of her favorites and some other pieces we thought might be useful on the trail.
What’s in the mail to Mille?
Mille and 46 other mushers will head to the start line on March 7th to begin their 2021 Iditarod run. Follow @woolpowerus as we track Mille and her team along the trail!
Stay warm friends!
– Team Woolpower