Humans of Persistence — Persistence Mushing

Sarah Harman

Musher and Handler

I have dreamed of being a musher since I was old enough to walk. To be here in Alaska, doing the thing, is truly a dream come true. I only meant to come up for a year to check mushing off my bucket list. That was over five years ago. I have fallen in love with this place and it’s beauty. I have also found a truly one of a kind group of people I get the privilege of calling my friends. When I’m not mushing I’m spending time outside with them and my dogs exploring all that Alaska has to offer. For my day job I work as a Bike and Ski technician and really love the hands-on nature of it and being able to use my skills to get more people outside!

Will Troshynski

Mentor and Owner of ATAO Kennel

William Markey

Sarah’s Partner and Handler

Shawn Goggins

Musher and Baking Extraordinaire

Will has been the best mentor I could have asked for. He’s taught me just about everything I know about mushing. The relationship he has with his dogs and attention to detail in their care is something I strive to match every day. He’s also, mostly inadvertently I think, taught me a lot about my own mental health. He was the first non-medical professional to talk to me about ADHD and the first person who made my struggles seem real and not just a failure of my character. He’s good at knowing when I need support but also is not afraid to call me out when I need it. Sometimes I think I annoy him with my nearly impossible to kill optimism, but it’s gotten us through some ridiculous situations so I think it’s also why he keeps me around.

Shawn is how I ended up at ATAO kennel. About a year into being in Alaska I had about given up on finding a kennel that was a good match for me. I was thinking about moving back home when I decided to audition for a local play. I got cast as one of the main characters and Shawn was cast as my fiancée. They wore a kennel hoodie to a rehearsal once and I was like “OMG do you mush?” They said that they did not but their partner, Will Troshynski, did. I couple weeks later I had the opportunity to meet him at their house warming party and the rest is history. This year, Shawn is diving into mushing more and the two of us will be doing a lot of our training together. When they aren’t mushing, Shawn can frequently be found in the kitchen baking something delicious. The tiny sweet potato pies are one of my favorites.