E61: Jessie Gladish - 2026 YRQ Race Director & Ultra Athlete

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Jessie Gladish, Canadian Yukon resident, ultramarathon racer of many disciplines and climates, and director of the 2026 Yukon River Quest. We cover so much in this episode from hiking the Chilkoot Pass at age 7, the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra in minus 48 degree temps, the Iditarod Trail Invitational, hazards of the Arctic in winter, a behind the scenes look at directing the Yukon River Quest, a call for and importance of volunteers, and of course the standard book recommendations. And if you’re enjoying the show please share it, follow it, or visit dabblinginpaddleism.com to find archives, what’s coming soon, guest book recommendations, and ways to support the show through merch, memberships, and more.There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Jessie herself on this 61st episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Jessie’s book recommendations: -Polar Dream, by Helen Thayer -Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell -Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen -Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer -Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer [email protected] [email protected] YRQ IG: @yukonriverquestofficial Jessie's IG: @jessiegladish YRQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18vyLPUSua/?mibextid=wwXIfr YRQ website https://www.yukonriverquest.com