Jan Steves speaks at the 11th annual Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County - Snohomish County, WA 
Iditarod musher speaks at Domestic Violence Services event
As an Iditarod musher, Jan Steves has weathered adversities few of us will ever know — minus-50 degree temperatures, injuries suffered in the roughly 1,000-mile race, and the loss of beloved sled dogs. Off the trail, too, life has brought unforeseen tragedies.
The Edmonds native’s 31-year-old son, Tyler, died of a heart attack in June 2015. Later that month, a wildfire destroyed the Willow, Alaska, home that Steves shared with fellow musher Bob Chlupach.
Steves, 60, spoke about her experiences Wednesday at the 11th annual “Hope Within Luncheon,” a fundraiser for Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County.
“Without hope, I wouldn’t be here,” Steves told the crowd in a ballroom at Everett’s Xfinity Arena.