Surprise career turns MSU alumnus into leader of pack

Switching majors in college is nothing new. However, it is a little less common to entirely change career paths.

With a biology degree from MSU’s Lyman Briggs School in 1993, Ed Stielstra intended on going to medical school. But his plans changed.

“I was paying my own way through school, so I worked my butt off during summer at a foundry,” Stielstra said. “Once I finished my undergrad, I was sick of working my butt off and having no money. The foundry offered me a salary position. I took it and started the kennel, too.”

When Stielstra first heard about sled dog racing, he believed the dogs were mistreated, but that wasn’t the case after he saw his first race, which got him hooked on the sport.

“I used to think it was cruel and I listened to propaganda about ‘whip them and make them run,’” Stielstra said. “Then, I saw it for the first time and thought, ‘These are the happiest dogs.’”

One of the misconceptions movies have created about sled dog racing is saying “Mush!”

“It was a word we used a couple hundred years ago, but now it’s obsolete. No one uses it,” said Tasha Stielstra, a 1998 elementary education MSU graduate and Ed’s wife.

What started out as a kennel transformed into something larger. Nature’s Kennel Sled Dog Adventures and Iditarod Racing Team in McMillan, Mich., offers minitours as well as overnight trips.

“It’s really neat to introduce people to something they’ve never done before, and they feel sense of accomplishment to drive their own dog team and sleep over night in a tent,” Tasha Stielstra said.

After meeting the Stielstras at a race, Mike Varley went on one of their tours.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Varley said. “For the first time, it’s totally different and you’re not sure what to expect. It’s really easy to do once you get on the sled and get educated on what to do.”

Once they had a passion and an idea for their future, they quit their jobs and ventured into uncharted territory.

“It was pretty scary just quitting our jobs and jumping into this,” Tasha Stielstra said. “It’s challenging to keep up with changing markets, offering diverse tours and making sure people are still interested in doing adventurous things.”

Along with being involved with their business, Ed Stielstra continues to occasionally race on the side. Every race provides new experiences. Whether it’s difficult weather or taking a bad fall, new memories are created.

“Most of the top racers are missing fingers and toes due to frostbite,” Ed Stielstra said. “When it’s 40 degrees below zero, it’s not the (most fun), but it creates great memories and sense of accomplishment.”

Despite setbacks and the uncertainty when first starting out on a new path, Ed Stielstra said it has been worthwhile.

“I just love working with dogs in the sport,” Ed Stielstra said. “Since they are specially bred to do this, I work with happiest dogs on the planet. It’s a very blessed life.”