Zoya DeNure left a prolific modeling career behind to pursue her passion: working with, caring for, and racing sled dogs. Photo by Diana Zalucky
In any other setting, it would hardly be a shock to learn that Zoya DeNure used to be a model. After all, she cuts a trim figure in her red parka, her dark hair framing an undeniably beautiful face. Then you notice where she is: standing in the middle of the rugged Alaskan wilderness surrounded by a team of sled dogs—not really the natural habitat of a long-legged runway veteran.
DeNure was just 12 years old when she was approached by a modeling agent in her home state of Wisconsin, a moment that would soon launch her into a prolific international modeling career. But, spending all of her time surrounded by other equally thin, gorgeous, and competitive young women who indulged in late-night partying and heavy drugs, DeNure quickly realized the lifestyle was taking a toll on her mental health. She decided to return home to pursue acting instead.
DeNure is the co-owner of Crazy Dog Kennel, which houses 50 Siberian Huskies, many of which are rescue cases; Photo courtesy of DeNure
She rented a luxury home by the water and signed up for acting lessons in Chicago. Then, she made a decision that would truly change her life forever: She bought a Siberian Husky. Just a few months later, she serendipitously met a woman who trained sled dogs. “I thought that was the most amazing and crazy thing ever,” DeNure remembers. “Adventure, animals, and nature? This was for me!”
DeNure became an apprentice of sorts, soaking up a wealth of knowledge about dog racing from her new mentor, spending every chance she could working at a kennel that housed 75 Huskies. “She told me, ‘I won’t sell you any dogs until I know you understand the responsibility of having, owning, and training dogs,’” remembers DeNure. After a year of learning how to care, feed, and train these canine athletes, she built her own kennel and ran sprint races for a year with a four-dog team.
DeNure at the start of the 2008 Iditarod Dog Sled race; Photo courtesy of DeNure
Still, she was anxious to stop toeing the water and jump straight in. “I couldn’t stand it,” she says. “I wanted to be a real musher living in the mountains, mushing my dogs in the remote wilderness of Alaska.” She did a Google search for “dog handler” job opportunities up north. “My mother said it best. She said, ‘Go now before you’re married with children. If you don’t like it there, Wisconsin will still be here.’”
Though she’d already spent a few years transitioning from the catwalk to the dog races, DeNure found herself completely changed by the Alaskan wilderness. “I had no idea how much my life would change at that moment,” she says. “What was once important to me in my previous lifestyle was no longer important at all—what kind of makeup I bought, what my hair looked that day, did I want to go to the spa or shopping in the city.” Hot showers and indoor bathrooms replaced stilettos and lipstick as luxuries. Instead, DeNure’s mind wandered to thoughts of finding new trails, financing her racing ambitions, and finding the time to train for the biggest dog races in the country. And for a dog musher, few races can rival the prestige of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, a dangerous 1,131-mile trek that’s often called the “last great race on Earth.”
DeNure says Huskies want to run, and it’s up to the owners to practice proper care and training. Photo courtesy of DeNure
DeNure entered the race in 2008. “My sled broke coming down the Dalzell Gorge,” she remembers. “I sat fixing my brake for four hours, and never got a wink of sleep. The next section of trail was the worst, 30 miles with no snow, ice glare, tree stumps, and dirt.” Running with a faulty brake, DeNure remembers her dogs speeding up over the rough terrain. “I felt a little out of control, scared to death for about two hours. With 16 dogs pulling me, by the grace of God I managed to get through this section in the dark without flipping my sled. I felt like I had won when I crossed the finish line. It was the most amazing feeling ever.”
DeNure tested her skills again in the Iditarod in 2010, but as she was still in the process of weaning her 1-year-old daughter from breastfeeding, she developed a mastitis infection on the trail and had to cut her run short.
DeNure will return to race in the Iditarod in 2015. Photo by Diana Zalucky
In 2015, the former model will return to the ultimate dog race in the pursuit of glory. But until then, she has plenty of work to keep her busy: She’s the co-owner of Crazy Dog Kennels with her husband, John Schandelmeir (a two-time Yukon Quest Champion). It’s the home of 50 “happy, healthy, and incredible” huskies, half of which are rescue dogs. “There is a great need in Alaska for rescue and rehab because there are so many dogs,” DeNure explains. “Some just need more time, patience, and love. They are incredible athletes.”
“It’s in their blood to run,” she says.
And judging by DeNure’s wide smile, it’s in hers as well.
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