Dog Musher Visits Chapman's Retreat

Published April 24, 2008

When it comes to hobbies, Franklin resident Rodney Whaley stands out from the crowd. The Alaskan native does something most Tennesseans would find unusual. Whaley is an avid dog musher. Actually, he is the first Tennessean to ever compete in the Iditarod. Often referred to as The Last Great Race, the Iditarod is a 1,159 mile sled dog race across the Alaskan wilderness. On April 15, Whaley traveled to Chapman's Retreat to share his adventures with a group of third grade students. To the delight of all the children, Whaley was joined by one of his dogs, a Siberian Husky named Maverick.

The child of Baptist missionaries, Whaley grew up in the frozen land of Alaska where he developed a passion for racing sled dogs at an early age. "When I was in fourth grade I got my first husky puppy," Whaley told the students. "His name was Chena and I loved him to death."

Whaley showed the students photos of his dogs and explained the difference between the various types of husky breeds. He also gave them an up close look at the actual sled he used in the Iditarod. Despite moving to Tennessee as a young adult, Whaley remained passionate about sled dog racing and competed in events across the United States and Canada. In 2007, Whaley decided to fulfill a life-long dream of his and take part in the Iditarod.