Mobile Menu

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • TWE & TEAM
    • CONTRIBUTORS
  • PODCASTS
  • INTERVIEWS
    • TWE STORIES
  • BOOKS
    • 20 WOMEN STORYTELLERS
    • 20 WOMEN CHANGEMAKERS
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • CONTACT
  • SEARCH THIS SITE
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH: LISTEN TO Ginger Zee, ABC Meteorologist, On Facing and Healing From Trauma

Your browser does not support the audio element.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • ADVERTISE

TWE Logo 2

The World As We See It

Header Right

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • TWE & TEAM
    • CONTRIBUTORS
  • PODCASTS
  • INTERVIEWS
    • TWE STORIES
  • BOOKS
    • 20 WOMEN STORYTELLERS
    • 20 WOMEN CHANGEMAKERS
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • CONTACT
  • SEARCH THIS SITE

PERSON OF THE DAY: Cindy Abbott’s Test of Courage Racing in the Iditarod

March 20, 2013 //  by Pamela Burke//  2 Comments

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Email
Iditarod racer Cindy Abbott and her pup
Cindy and her special lead dog, “Baby Drool”

UPDATE: 3/23/15: Cindy Abbot Makes It To Nome and finished Iditarod…Congrats, Cindy!!!

UPDATE: 3/6/15:  Cindy’s Back Again Competing in the Iditarod!

By Stacey Gualandi/March 20,2013

On March 3rd, 54-year-old Cindy Abbott set out to be the first woman to complete the over 1,000-mile Iditarod after having already reached the summit of Mt. Everest, all while living with vasculitis, a rare incurable disease. I interviewed Cindy recently about her determination to take on this difficult challenge. Checking back with Cindy to find out how she did, I just learned that twenty miles after the start, she fractured her groin but managed to stay in the race for ten days.

“If it weren’t for me losing my ability to function at a level that I was thought was safe, I would have kept going…”  Cindy Abbott

While this wife and mom didn’t make it to the finish, she did finish what she set out to do:  raise awareness about her disorder, and show what you can accomplish when you set your mind to something…  

EYE:  How are you doing after that exhausting race?

CINDY:  Physically I don’t know yet. I’m going to the orthopedic surgeon and am waiting to find out if I need surgery. I’ve seen the x-ray of my pelvis and I have a fracture. I kept mashing the bones together because I kept racing. I injured it about 20 miles after the start!! I was using my body as an anchor to get my team on course.

I knew I had hurt myself. I couldn’t move my right leg. The pain was really really intense. I thought I might have to scratch at the first checkpoint! But I managed to go another 30 miles to stop for a longer checkpoint break to assess the damage.

Cindy Abbott at the start of Iditarod 2013
Cindy, Number 60, at the start line of Iditarod, 2013

EYE:  How far did you get?

CINDY: On my own, I got roughly 630 miles in ten days. Everyone was taking longer because it was really rough trail conditions this year. So I would have probably finished in 14 days if my pace had continued.

EYE:  When did you realize you might not be able to continue?

CINDY:  Near my last checkpoint, I had to take my team into the deep powder and that took a long time. I think that was the beginning of the end. It twisted my leg and pelvis so bad. When I got to my last checkpoint, I could not stand up the pain was so severe, so I ended up doing all my dog chores on my knees.

I was literally trembling from the pain. The last run I did was harder than normal; the wind was blowing these hard crusty drifts onto the trail. My team was really tired. I never would have stopped just for me, but I stopped for my dog team. They, I think, also picked up on the fact that I was in pain and so they never rallied.

“I was hypothermic but still wanted to run my dogs.”

I was out for 28 hours and only had gone 50 miles, and I was shutting down. It should only have taken 10-11 hours. By then, two snow machines and a medical worker came to check on me because they realized that something was not right. I was hypothermic but still wanted to run my dogs. But by accepting the medical help, I essentially scratched from the race. I didn’t think I was safe to be taking a dog team out.

EYE:  Was it everything you imagined?

CINDY:  The trail conditions were worse than I imagined. The Race Marshall told me it was an extremely difficult year because of the weather and that he was proud of all the decisions I made. I took every leg one at a time and dealt with everything that I had to at that time.

If it weren’t for me losing my ability to function at a level that I was thought was safe, I would have kept going because the dogs were fine and just needed a rest.

“I had a fantastic time and a great experience that almost no one in the world gets to do.”

EYE: How are you feeling about that? Does this make you more determined to try again next year?

CINDY:  I can’t do it. This was my one and only shot. My husband was beyond frantic. For a while, he didn’t know what was going on. It’s extremely expensive, and professionally I had to take a semester off from teaching.

Yes, this was my only chance and I have no regrets at all. I had a fantastic time and a great experience that almost no one in the world gets to do.  And the fact that I didn’t finish; well, I did. I finished to the point of my finish line. I was 630 miles into the race considering I was injured 20 miles from the starting line!!

Cindy Abbott's pup looking back at her at the Iditarod 2013
“Baby Drool” watching Cindy when injured during the Iditarod

EYE:  How about your vasculitis? Did it become a hindrance?

CINDY:  I have some nerve damage to my fingers and toes.  My boots were wet for three days!  And I had some weight loss.  I wouldn’t say I’m pleased that I didn’t get to the end in Nome, but to make it ten days in the race after thinking I would have to scratch at the first checkpoint, I’m pleased with that.

EYE:  Is there one memory that will stick with you from this experience?

CINDY:  My Baby Drool, who was a puppy last year and has been with me on all my races. It’s funny because the rest of the team were all laying down sleeping when I shut them down for the last time, but while I was laying on my sled, Baby Drool was sitting there for hours and hours looking at me wondering “what’s wrong Mom?”

He obviously knew something was wrong, and I thought that was so sweet. My Baby was worrying about me and instead of going to sleep he was watching over me.  One of the last pictures I took on the race was Baby Drool looking at me from the front of the pack.

EYE:  Well, you’ve made a friend for life and inspired so many! Congrats on your unbelievable accomplishment. Now get some rest!

###

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Email

Category: Person of the DayTag: Adventurer, Cindy Abbott, Dogsledding, Iditarod 2013, Vasculitis

If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to The Women's Eye
and get our latest updates in your Inbox!

You can unsubscribe at any time.

Related Posts

If you liked this post, you might also be interested in these:

PERSON OF THE DAY: Andra Good Honors Best Friend’s Legacy with Leigh’s Blankies

Cassie Ho and Stacey Gualandi

PERSON OF THE WEEK: POP Pilates Star Cassey Ho On Expanding Her Fitness Empire

Kristy Ling, author Operation Happiness/Photo: Wally Hawkins

PERSON OF THE DAY: Author Kristi Ling’s 3-Step Plan To Being Happy

Lizzie Velasquez documentary A Brave Heart

PERSON OF THE DAY: Lizzie Velasquez Stars in New Anti-Bullying Documentary

Author Laurie King shares her true stories from "Lost Kidnapped Eaten Alive"

Author Laurie McAndish King Gets ‘Lost Kidnapped Eaten Alive!’

Mitzi Montoya, ASU Dean of Innovation at 85 Broads Luncheon 3/3/14

Innovation Dean Mitzi Montoya on Rock Stars in STEM

Patricia Sexton LIVE from Mongolia

Patricia Sexton’s Journey from Wall Street Banker to Anchorwoman in Mongolia

New York TImes bestselling author Anne Lamott

PERSON OF THE DAY: Author Anne Lamott Stitches Life Back Together

Llinda Ronstadt at Changing Hands/Oct. 2013/book event

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Linda Ronstadt Shares Her Simple Dreams

Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright Presents “Prague Winter”– A Personal Story

Anne Lamott Interview about her book, Help, Thanks Wow | The Women's Eye Interview

Anne Lamott on Writing, Prayer and the Secret to Life

Barbara Kingsolver, author of "Flight Behavior"

Author Barbara Kingsolver Writes About Global Climate Change and Hope

Previous Post: «Princess Di Dresses at London Auction TOP 10: Iconic Princess Diana Dresses Fetch $1.2 Million at Auction
Next Post: Mary Skinner’s Special Film “Irena Sendler–In The Name Of Their Mothers” Mary Skinner documentarian»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jane Eagle

    March 23, 2013 at 8:50 am

    I am a huge fan of the Iditarod. Cindy’s accomplishment is unimaginable to almost all of us.Before a person even gets to the START line, they have to do several 300+ mile qualifying races; there is a year or more of training, in all weather, times of day and night; just putting together the bags of supplies that are sent ahead to every checkpoint is more than most of us could deal with, and it has to be done fast because they are dealing with perishable food. It boggles the mind, what is done before the race even begins! Then during the race, while the dogs average 10 hours a day of sleep, the mushers average 2 hours ( while the dogs sleep, the musher prepares their food, cleans up after, takes off booties and puts them back on, massages doggie feet and whatever else may need it, then the person gets to prepare and eat their own food, catch a few winks, then back to getting the dogs ready.
    Really, most of us have NO IDEA what an accomplishment Cindy has achieved. Many kudos to her!

    Reply
  2. stacey gualandi

    March 25, 2013 at 9:00 pm

    Thanks so much Jane for taking time to share the importance of what Cindy accomplished. I was honored to have met her and get to share her story!!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Footer

Inspiration

Many times it takes enormous determination and courage in the face of fear and uncertainty. Leading is about passion. Stand up and do it if something needs changing.

Holly Gordon, Producer Girl Rising

TWE Podcasts

SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

Search our Archives

  • ABOUT THE WOMEN’S EYE TEAM
  • TWE Radio/Podcasts
  • TWE Interviews & Stories
  • Contact Us

Site Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2010–2022 by The Women's Eye, L.L.C. All rights reserved · Privacy Policy | Terms of Use