Jody Potts-Joseph said she has been running a team of sled dogs since she was a child and sees dog mushing as a “way of life.”
Sunny, one of Potts-Joseph's Iditarod sled dogs, waits to be fed in the days leading up to the race in Anchorage, Alaska.
Potts-Joseph sets off at the official start of the 2026 Iditarod.
Potts-Joseph prepares for the ceremonial start in a prayer circle led by her mom, Adeline Juneby Potts, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Stoller barks after being harnessed to Potts-Joseph's sled before the ceremonial start in Anchorage, Alaska.
Quannah Chasinghorse, Potts-Joseph's daughter, shares a moment with sled dog Stormy before the ceremonial start in Anchorage, Alaska.
Adeline Juneby Potts, Potts-Joseph's mom, says goodbye to her daughter before the official restart in Willow, Alaska.
Potts-Joseph dresses Natrah in a dog blanket made by April Monroe before the ceremonial start in Anchorage, Alaska. Monroe is one of the 16 indigenous artists Potts-Joseph reached through an Instagram post.
Potts-Joseph makes final adjustments to her boots before the official restart in Willow, Alaska.
Potts-Jospeh wears mukluks she made from caribou hide to keep warm in the extreme temperatures on the Iditarod trail, which can reach 50 degrees below zero.
Potts-Jospeh waves goodbye as she races towards the Susitna River in Willow, Alaska.
