Libby Riddles

Riddles was born April 1, 1956, in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota. An animal lover as a child, she dreamed of a life as a cowgirl or farmer. After graduating from high school, she followed a boyfriend, Dewey Halverson, to a homesteader's life in Alaska. The young couple lived in a cabin near Anchorage and Riddles helped Halverson train sled dogs. "I learned real quick it's not much fun to help somebody else drive dogs," Riddles told Women's Sports & Fitness. "I wanted to do it myself."

She entered the Iditarod in 1980, finishing in 20th place. The following year, she finished 18th—and met dogsledder Joe Garnie. Riddles soon joined Garnie in Teller, a remote Alaskan village with a population of 250. They lived in a trailer without plumbing, fished and hunted for food, and bred and trained sled dogs. Riddles continued racing. In 1982, she placed 7th in the Kusko 300 Sled-Dog Race. She followed up with a 5th place finish in 1984.