Doug Swingley
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Doug Swingley (born May 14, 1953) is an American dog musher and dog sled racer from Lincoln, Montana, who is a four-time winner of the 1,049-mile Iditarod sled dog race across Alaska. His victory in 1995 marked the first time a non-Alaskan won the race, and he followed it by winning in 1999, 2000, and 2001. He competed in every Iditarod from 1992 to 2002, and during his rookie outing he won the Dorothy G. Page Halfway award, for being the first musher to reach the halfway point of the race.
Swingley pulled out of the 2004 Iditarod because of frostbite in his corneas (eyes). Since the injury, his night vision has diminished, so he prefers to race during the day. He placed 14th in the 2005 race. He entered the 2006 race intent on winning for the 5th time. The only other five-time winner is Rick Swenson. Doug took control of the race early and led the race coming into the Takotna checkpoint 436 miles in where he elected to take his mandatory 24 hour layover. During the layover he was passed by Jeff King, but those two would challenge each other for the lead until the race reached the Bering Sea coast where Jeff King finally pulled away as Doug's team was having difficulty negotiating occasional stretches of bare ice. Doug finished the race in second place behind King, but vowed to return in 2007 with a very strong team.
In 2002, he married Melanie Shirilla under the "burled arch", the traditional finish line of the Iditarod in Nome. Musher and dog breeder, Doug Swingley, 52, was born in Montana. He began mushing in 1989. His brother, Greg, sparked his interest in the Iditarod and he has been hooked ever since. He is a four-time Iditarod champion. He says he continues to run the Iditarod because “I love traveling with my dogs.” Doug is a member of the Montana Mountain Mushers, Mush with P.R.I.D.E. and the ITC. Doug is married to Melanie Shirilla, also a musher. Doug has two adult children, Heidi and Wes. He lists his hobbies as dogs, flying and Melanie.
| Preceded by Martin Buser |
Iditarod winner 1995 |
Succeeded by Jeff King |
| Preceded by Jeff King |
Iditarod winner 1999, 2000, 2001 |
Succeeded by Martin Buser |
