“Everyone has their thing,” Dionne said after thinking for a few moments about what got her into sled dog racing. “I guess this one’s mine.”
Dionne received her first dog from a friend in Edmundston when she was only a few years younger. The dog, whose name was Snowbell, inspired Dionne, and when she turned 20 she decided to give the extreme sport of sled dog racing a “go.”
Dionne has been running sled dogs competitively for just about a year, during which she has made somewhat of a name for herself. She has run in two races this year, one in Greenville and the other in Brownville, which her sister also raced in. Amy finished second in the 30-mile race, while Holly finished first in her class and even won a new dog sled. Dionne finished fourth in the Greenville race, which was also a 30-mile run.
The Dionne sisters have been training for this winter’s events since August, and go on multiple runs with their dogs a week to ensure they will be ready for the Can-Am. The two will be running their sled dog teams for Trailbreaker Kennels of Fort Kent.
When asked what she is most looking forward to during the Can-Am, Amy looked out at her dogs before she responded. “I don’t care what place I finish in. I just want to finish with all my dogs healthy.”
Amy and her sister will take off early Saturday morning and finish the 30-mile race in the afternoon at Lonesome Pine Trails in Fort Kent.