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INUVIK - Marie-Anick Elie might be the last to admit it, but she can hang with the big boys of local mushing.

She placed first in the six-mile race at the Mad Trapper Jamboree in Aklavik last weekend. The weekend before that she placed first in the Muskrat Jamboree's annual Mary Firth Women's Race and beat out the Delta competition at the Masters Open Dog Race.

Marie-Anick Elie gets some love from some of her prized racing dogs at her kennel located in front of her home in Inuvik. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

But it hasn't been all smooth sailing. She's come a long way since her first race in Fort McPherson in 2002. In fact, she didn't even complete that one.

"We took the wrong trail," she said. "The dog truck was right there so we just packed up and went back home.

"But from there I knew I had to work harder. I just learned from the experience."

She refuses to label herself as one of the region's best and she's quick to point out all the generous support she's received from other mushers along the way.

What started out as a hobby, introduced to her by a friend after moving here from Quebec City 12 years ago, has escalated into a full-fledged passion bordering on obsession.

After borrowing a few cast-away racing dogs from friends, she decided to compete in the 2000-2001 winter season. She ended up losing most of her races at first.

Then burning desire set in and her kennel rose from 20 dogs to 36 last year. She currently has 30.

A student of dog racing, she's constantly reading books on dog health and behaviour, tinkering with their diets in order to get the best performance out of her animals.

Although they must have a superior genetic makeup, there are several factors that produce a champion, she said.

"I think nutrition is a big thing but you have to take good care of them," she said. "They're social animals. Some people think it's better not to give too much affection to the dogs, but I think if your dogs know that you love them, they'll want to work better for you."

Looking after her beloved dogs is no easy task. Having a demanding career is enough but her hobby is more of a lifestyle.

She spends early mornings and late evenings completing an endless list of tasks, including feeding and running the dogs and cleaning the kennels. She even has a hired hand to help.

But she's not one to complain. She thrives on it.

"I appreciate what nature gives us," she said. "Sometimes when it's 45 below, you don't feel like going outside. But then it's OK and you discover things that you would never discover if it was plus 5. The sounds are interesting, the northern lights. It forces me to be closer to my environment and I think that's important. It keeps me healthy."

Plus there's her devotion to bringing out the best in her dogs and herself.

"It's a big puzzle. What I find captivating is that there's just not a straight answer for every problem. You might find a solution for one but that might not apply to another."

She said the cost of looking after her dogs is expensive and she's contemplating reducing her kennel but not so much that she risks falling out of contention with the top dogs.

"It's a passion," she said. "If I didn't have the dogs, I think I would feel a bit empty. I would feel alone. They really are a big part of my life. I think about the dogs all the time. At this time I don't see myself letting it go."

For fellow musher Herbert Blake, that's great news. The two have become friends and inspiration for each other. Whatever awards and accolades she gets, he said, she deserves.

"She's really great at what she does," said Blake. "She's so dedicated and is a great ambassador for the sport. You only get out of life what you put into it, she certainly puts everything into what she does."