Robert Sørlie

Robert Walter Sørlie, pronounced as "Sorlie" in English, is a Norwegian dog musher and sled racer, born on February 15, 1958, in Hurdal. He is a two-time Iditarod champion and a prominent figure in the sport, often associated with "Team Norway," alongside Kjetil Backen and his nephew, Bjørnar Andersen.

Sørlie has been actively involved in dog racing since the 1970s, achieving numerous victories in various competitions. Throughout his extensive career, Sørlie has participated in 46 dog sled races, securing victory 24 times and finishing as the runner-up on ten occasions. Notably, in 2003, he made history as the second non-American to claim victory in the challenging 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, following Martin Buser's feat. He secured another Iditarod win in 2005. His success extends to Norwegian races, where he has dominated competitions since 1991, winning prestigious events such as Femundløpet thirteen times and Finnmarksløpet in 1995, 1999, and 2001. Sørlie has also clinched the Norwegian long-distance championship twice (1993 and 1995) and the mid-distance championship once (1992). In 2008, he emerged victorious in the inaugural Amundsen Race, covering a 400 km route from Östersund, Sweden, to Røros, Norway.

Making his Iditarod debut in 2002, Sørlie quickly made an impact by earning the "Rookie of the Year" award with a 9th-place finish. The following year, he made history by winning the Iditarod in 9 days, 15 hours, 47 minutes, and 36 seconds, becoming the first non-North American resident to achieve this feat. Despite course alterations, Sørlie's skillful mushing and a strong dog team propelled him to victory. He repeated this success in 2005, facing tough competition and challenging weather conditions.

In his personal life, Sørlie has been married to Elin Pedersen since 1980, and they share two sons, Håkon and Magnus. When not engaged in mushing, he works as a firefighter at Oslo Airport. In addition to his mushing pursuits, Sørlie has been involved in the organizational aspects of Team Norway and later Team Sørlie.

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