By Jonathan Kane
Even in a dog-crazy town, Wood River High School rising senior Julia Larsen stands out for her commitment to canines. As a dog sledder with 17 dogs in tow, it’s hard not to.
This well-rounded student excels at academics as well as being student body vice president. She has taken Advanced Placement Language, Psychology, Government and dual credit English, Chemistry and Spanish V. Larsen is an avid skier (her grandfather competed in the Olympics for Hungary) and plays varsity golf. Also, she is a musician and has participated in the Dixie Band, Concert Band and Drumline.
When asked what her passion was, Larsen said, “To live life to the fullest. You need to take every opportunity and make the best of it. I have gone through a lot of struggles and hardships but I’ve made the most of it and bettered myself. Music is one of the things that really helps as well as being outdoors most of my life. Also, my parents are really supportive and my friends and my faith have helped me out a great deal.”
Larsen has a real interest in the study of the brain, in part because of suffering multiple concussions, and because of taking psychology in school.
“I really want to go into neuroscience. AP Psychology was amazing and I fell in love with the subject. It really opened up my understanding of how my brain was operating after two concussions and four whiplashes. I’m interested in what causes an illness like Alzheimer’s and it would be great to look for a cure.
“I see myself working somewhere in the field. I would like to get a doctor’s degree or a Ph.D. There are just so many branches to the field.”
But her focus remains on dog sledding.
“It’s one of the most competitive sports in the world,” Larsen said. “When I was little, my dad would ski on cross-country skis behind our Siberian husky for fun. When I was 5 years old I told him I wanted to try, so I did on downhill skis.
“I wanted my own dog so I could do it by myself. He saw an ad in a paper in Utah for sled dogs. We went to get one and returned with three. They were about 5 years old and they were retired racing dogs, so they moved at a slightly slower pace. Then we got a sled and I had my first race at age 8.
“I finished third out of three but I won $100 so I was really happy!”
Today, Larsen and her dad, who also races, have 17 dogs that they take in a trailer to all their races, though only a handful compete.
“The competition pushes me to be a better person,” Larsen said.