LANCE MACKEY

Born into the family that founded the Iditarod and raised in the wilds of Alaska, Lance Mackey has earned the title of toughest athlete alive through a grueling dedication to dog sled racing. He’s the only person to win both the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races back to back—and it’s a feat he’s mastered four times. His passion for mushing is unrelenting: not even a two-year battle with cancer could keep Lance away from his dogs. “It’s hard to stay positive when you’re consistently getting beat up or knocked down,” he says. “But it’s better to do what you can, to the best of your ability than to not even try at all.”