Torleif Bentzen, 15, is a ninth grader from Fairbanks, Alaska. At the age of 3-years-old, good family friend Ellie Mason introduced him to mushing. He has been mushing ever since! Torleif's family now has fourteen dogs of their own which they enjoy running together in the White Mountains and the Tanana Valley. Aside from having fun with his dogs, Torleif enjoys camping and hunting (and even those activities often include the dogs). For the 2024 Jr. Iditarod, he will be running dogs from ReRun Kennel that belong to Justin and Kailyn Olnes. After high school, Torleif would like to become a wildlife biologist and continue running sled dogs.