Sam Deltour

Sam Deltour was born in Belgium, January 2nd 1985. Outside temperatures dropped way below zero and, just a few hours after taking his first breath, it started snowing hard. An omen for the days to come.

Sam was an unmanageable toddler. His endless energy, determination and independence made his mother want to tear out her hair and scream. What could she do with such a stubborn lump of energy? His parents sent him to the Freinet School, an academy that focuses on education starting from the child’s interest. There the little boy could live his life to the fullest. No tree was high enough, no puddle too deep.

Soon he developed a passion for endurance sports, running and biking. He was about ten when his interest in the far north crept into his mind, inspired by documentaries on National Geographic Channel and icy stories in dusty old books. His lectures in class dealt with historic polar expeditions. He already started sleeping without blankets too harden him for the cold.

While he was dreaming about snow covered landscapes, he practiced sports: Run-Bike-Run, Survival Run, triathlon, mountain marathon, a solo excursion in the Scottish Highlands in the fall… all the time looking for a challenge. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in medicine, he decided to follow his dream. He joined Dries Jacobs on a trip to Italy where he learned the basics of mushing. That same winter he became European Champion of Dog Trekking for Pure Breeds in Germany. The following summer, together with Dries, he worked himself up from handler, to tour guide, to puppy team driver in Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey’s kennel.

Sam became the first Belgian in history to finish the Iditarod sled dog race. He not only completed the race, but he didn’t have to drop any of his dogs. He was the only musher in the 2008 Iditarod to do so. In the meantime, he is successfully continuing his medical studies.

This winter he's again part of the Seavey's racing team. He's training dogs for the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. In Belgium you can find him hanging on a kite on the sea, off running in the woods or with his nose in the books.

With an iron will, an absolute faith in all that is good and an endless optimism, Sam Deltour relentlessly chases down his dreams in life.