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On February 2, 1925, a dog sled team delivered medicine to the town of Nome, Alaska. The team delivered a crucial supply of diphtheria antitoxin, preventing an epidemic of the deadly disease in the isolated Arctic town.The first leg of the relay, involving 20 mushers and more than 100 sled dogs, had begun five days earlier in Nenana, Alaska, about 1,046 kilometers (650 miles) east of Nome. The mushers raced across frozen tundra, icy rivers, forbidding mountain ranges, and shifting sea ice. Dogs and mushers also had to endure blizzards and avoid other animals, such as moose, bears, and reindeer herds.The athleticism and dedication displayed by the dogs and mushers inspired one of the most famous and intimidating races in the world—the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Every year, hundreds of athletes (both human and canine) compete in a grueling test of physical and psychological endurance from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nome. -
Term Part of Speech Definition Encyclopedic Entry Arctic Noun region at Earth's extreme north, encompassed by the Arctic Circle.
Encyclopedic Entry: Arctic athlete Noun person who participates or competes in sporting events.
blizzard Noun storm with high winds, intense cold, heavy snow, and little rain.
crucial Adjective very important.
endure Verb to survive.
epidemic Noun outbreak of an infectious disease able to spread rapidly.
forbid Verb to disallow or prohibit.
grueling Adjective physically difficult.
inspire Verb to influence to act.
isolate Verb to set one thing or organism apart from others.
medicine Noun substance used for treating illness or disease.
musher Noun driver of a team of sled dogs.
psychological Adjective having to do with mental facilities and awareness.
relay adjective, noun type of team racing where athletes compete in sequence. Also called a relay race.
toxin Noun poisonous substance, usually one produced by a living organism.
tundra Noun cold, treeless region in Arctic and Antarctic climates.