Kanab woman makes history as first female to complete 1,000-mile Iditard Race on skis

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Sunny Stroeer of Kanab, Utah, recently made history as the first and only woman to complete the 1,000-mile Iditarod Race on skis.

Stroeer - a professional adventurer, local guide, and sponsor of women's mountaineering tours - said the challenge of the Iditarod Trail is what drew her into the competition.

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"Racing in an event like this... it's all about the mental, and psychological development you go through in that period of time," she said.

While some participants race on foot and others on bikes, Stroeer chose to make the trek on cross-country skis.

She faced high winds, heavy snowfall, and sub-freezing temperatures throughout the month-long journey.

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"I think the coldest I had was negative 50," Stroeer told 2News.

Despite the obstacles thrown her way, Stroeer said that the scenery on the trail was magical from day through night. Her toughest hurdle was persevering past the loneliness she experienced.

Stroeer finished the race in 29 days, 22 hours, and 6 minutes - earning the title of the only woman to complete such a feat on skis.

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"In some ways the fact that I completed this as a woman shouldn't be anything special," she shared. "It is because there are still not that many of us doing these kinds of things, and that needs to change."

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