My Life as a Blind Iditarod Racer
Rachael Scdoris and Rick Steber
No End in Sight
The inspirational story of a young dog sled racer who had to overcome incredible odds to compete. She has been legally blind for more than eleven years. Twenty-one-year-old Rachael Scdoris has been guiding teams of sled dogs (whom she dearly loves) across jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, and desolate tundra at speeds more than twenty mph. Not only is Rachael the youngest athlete to ever complete a 500-mile sled dog race mile, but she is also legally blind and has been since birth. She hasn't let that disability hinder her from achieving any of her goals!
Jagged: With rough, sharp points protruding.
Desolate: (of a place) Deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness.
Hinder: Create difficulties for (someone or something), resulting in delay or obstruction.
Don't get in their way!
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Practice makes perfect!
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Blind, female racer defies all odds!
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Growing up
Childhood
Rachael Schdoris grew up in Oregon. She was born with congenital achromatopsia. She is a cross-country and track athlete who participated in an exhibition 400-meter race at the Olympic Trails in Sacramento. Rachael was the youngest athlete ever to compete in a 500-mile sled dog race, but her dream goal was to participate in the sport's top competition: the Iditarod Trail International Sled Dog Race across the wilderness of Alaska. She faced stiff opposition from the organizers of the race because of her disability, but she never gave up! With the help of her visual interpreter she was able to compete! Rachael grew up with the taunts of her classmates who made fun of her until her innate athletic talent gave her an arena in which to shine. She participated in her first Iditarod sled race in 2005.
Congenital Achromatopsia: is an eye disorder that effects the development of cones in the retina.
Innate: Inborn; natural.
Alizah Tariq
Period 2