"Hello everybody, from Knik Lake, with goosebumps covering my whole damn body. We’re at the start of the Iditarod Trail Invitational.

I’m a bit at a loss for words, and it’s not healthy to cry and have tears freeze to your face. So...thank you all for your support, this ride is for a lot of reasons, and very much for cancer fighters everywhere as we raise money along the trail. So, I’ll ask your help in that mission over the next three or four weeks.

But standing here it’s for all of you, we’re certainly a big team. So, for friends, for family, for cancer survivors, for Iowa - to Nome we go. Onwards!"