by Megan Baldino
Saturday, March 6, 2010
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- One musher running the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race this year may not be one of the front-runners, but he will be one of the most inspirational mushers on the trail.
Pat Moon is from Chicago. He first came to Alaska in 2006 as an Iditarider, and that day he told himself he was going to run the race -- but it wouldn't be easy.
Moon has a disease called ulcerative colitis. He's on a strict diet and has to keep his stress level low -- not an easy thing on the Iditarod trail. He also has cancer, and told his doctor he was putting his treatment on hold to follow his dream.
"I'm going to ignore it," Moon said. "Since October we just kind of turned a blind eye to the idea. It it what it is."
