The Jamaican Who Loves Competing In The Snow
In 2010, Jamaican musher Newton Marshall made international headlines when he became the first Caribbean musher ever to finish the famous Iditarod Race in Alaska.
The race covers 1,000 miles of the toughest terrain with jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest and desolate tundra.
Temperatures far below zero, winds can cause complete loss of visibility, hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills. HUH???
In 2013, his now famous dog “Wrong Way May” got free from the team while Newton helped another competitor who was having trouble.
May ran the trail backwards and was found 7 days later alive and well, near the starting point of the race.
In 2014, Newton finished 43rd from 69 mushers, on a trail that was described as the toughest in the 42-year history of the race.
Not many veterans and past champions made it to the finish line.
Newton also made headlines during the race for coming to the aide of fellow musher Scott Janssen who had broken his ankle on the trail and could not get back to his sled.
Newton received a national award for his unselfish actions in rescuing the musher.
Jamaicans haffi inna everything – nuh true?
By Neo Makeba
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