Bend’s Iditarod dog-musher takes on cycling

Alaska’s grueling Iditarod sled-dog race is no walk in the park, but Bend’s Rachael Scdoris has been there, done that — four times.

But when dog-mushing injuries kept the well-known, legally blind racer from her summer training runs at Mt. Bachelor, she took up tandem cycling to keep in shape — and if you know Rachael’s story, you’d better believe she didn’t just to stick to the basic rides.

“I’m just very competitive by nature,” Scdoris said recently. “I don’t really like to do things recreationally. I like to compete — and if you’re going to compete, you might as well do it at the highest level.”

Her “go big or go home” attitude landed her at the USA Cycling national championships in Georgia in June, where she and her partner earned a gold medal in the road race.

They also took home a bronze in the time trial. While that didn’t qualify them for the big Paralympics race coming up in London, their efforts did secure a spot on the national team.

“It isn’t completely official yet,” Scdoris said. “But they did send me an e-mail saying, ‘Congratulations, you made the team! Fill out all this paperwork to make it official.'”

The milestones and victories are sweet for Scdoris, but she is quick to point out she didn’t get this far alone.

“Nothing I do is an individual effort,” she said. “Whether it’s running dogs or riding bikes, it’s all a group effort , so I couldn’t do it without so many people helping me out.”

One of those people is her boyfriend, Nicolas Salerno, who often helps her train, and who has no doubt someday Scdoris will be an Olympian.

“She is incredibly tough,” Salerno said. “I don’t know any other girl, or athlete, or anyone that could do the things that she does without complaining or losing focus, or her spirit. And that reflects in her dog sled racing and also her cycling.”

You probably remember Scdoris — NewsChannel 21 has done many stories on her over the years. Yes, she is legally blind, but her vision to push herself to success has never been stronger.

If you would like to help Scdoris compete in future races, there is a benefit being held in her honor at Alfalfa Community Center on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

The fundraiser will feature live music and entertainment, including: Fiddle Virtuoso, Kelly Thibadeaux and the Etoufee Band featuring Buddy Sawyer. Tickets will be available for $10 at the door.