Anna Berington
Quick Facts
Biography
Anna Berington is an American musher based in Knik, Alaska.
Early life and education
Anna Berington was born in February 1984 in Port Wing, Wisconsin, to Steve and Jan Berington. She has an identical twin sister, Kristy Berington, who is also a noted musher.
The two sisters graduated from South Shore High School in Port Wing, Wisconsin, in 2002.
Growing up, both were athletic and began mushing at a young age. They first learned of sled dog racing at the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon event held in nearby Duluth, Minnesota.
Career
After a brief deployment with the Army National Guard, Anna and Kristy relocated to California where they spent winters working at a dog sled touring business in Lake Tahoe and summers at a horse stable guiding tourists in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
In the summer of 2007, while on a trip to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, they met 1984 Iditarod winner Dean Osmar, who taught them about long-distance dog sledding and gave them a chance to race. Anna's first race was the Klondike 300 followed by numerous mid-distance races, eventually placing 8th in the Taiga 300.
In 2008, the twins moved to Kasilof, Alaska to pursue a career in mushing. In 2013, Anna relocated to Knik, Alaska, and began working for Iditarod veteran Scott Janssen. Months later, her sister, Kristy, also moved to Knik and began working with them.
Stats
Year | Place | Time |
---|---|---|
2019 | 17 | 10d 23h 5m 15s |
2018 | 22 | 10d 21h 44m 20s |
2017 | 41 | 10d 2h 30m 14s |
2016 | 40 | 10d 13h 58m 27s |
2015 | 28 | 10d 11h 6m 33s |
2014 | 39 | 11d 14h 15m 22s |
2013 | 43 | 11d 7h 7m 55s |
2012 | 42 | 12d 2h 16m 30s |
Personal life
Anna cites her hobbies as running, triathlon, biking, swimming, canicross, and skiing. She is married to fellow musher and Illinois-native Charley Bejna. The couple lives in Knik, Alaska.