The journey for Lance as the “Toughest Athlete Alive”, four-time Yukon Quest Winner and Iditarod winner was a trek filled with many obstacles and challenges. Born and raised in Alaska, Lance comes from a family of dog mushers who excel at the sport. His father, Dick Mackey was one of the founders of the Iditarod “The Last Great Race” in 1973 and the winner of the 1978 race, while his older brother Rick Mackey was the winner of this grueling 1,200 mile race in 1983. Lance had high hopes and aspirations to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother before him. While working off the treacherous coast of Alaska in the crab fishing industry, Lance began to assemble his team to compete with and observed what made dogs and teams successful. In 2001, after Lance’s first attempt at the Iditarod he was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent extensive surgery. Others may have given up and walked away against such odds but Lance’s competitive fires burned hotter than ever. Determined to beat cancer and make his mark in the world of dog racing, he succeeded at both. Lance is cancer free and is the only musher to win both the Iditarod and Yukon Quest four years in a row.