As the 40th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race nears, it’s not easy being John Baker. But there’s nothing quite like being him either. In the days leading up to the Last Great Race on Earth, Baker has had the attention and distraction of being the event’s defending champion.He won the hearts of Native Alaska in the 2011 Iditarod when he shattered the race record by three hours and became the first Inupiat champion in the event’s history, and the first Alaska Native to win the race since Athabaskan Jerry Riley in 1976. (Among the foods Baker took with him for nourishment was Eskimo salad, which consists of raw chopped veggies and muktuk.)Read more here: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/03/03/can-inupiat-champ-john-baker-repeat-on-the-iditarod-trail-101039
