Jason Campeau

45 year old Yukon Quest veteran

Nationality: Canadian
Current Residence: Rocky Mountain House, AB
Occupation(s): Executive Vice President at Maplesoft Group
Kennel Name: Atka Kennel
Name Origination: Atka means "guardian spirit" in the Inuit language, which we felt was appropriate to look out for the dogs and mushers out on the trail.
Kennel Bloodlines: King, Mackey, Swingley
Breeds: Alaskan Husky
# of Dogs in Kennel: 75

Musher Question & Answer

How many years have you been running dogs?
6

Tell us about your dogs?
The 2020 team has remarkable drive and truly love being out on the trail or playing in our dog play yard. Most of the team has grown up together playing as pups and are a very tight-knit group.

How did you get started running dogs?
As a young boy, I always had a dream of having my own dog team. Being able to live with some of the best canine athletes in the world 365 days a year is a dream, come true. Racing is a true bonus and allows us to challenge ourselves together as a team competing against the best long-distance teams in the world.

What do you love most about running sled dogs?
Being out on the trails as a team is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Having such a deep bond and trust in the dogs in truly remarkable. My dogs have taught me what really matters in life and have saved me more than once.

Why did you enter the Yukon Quest? What are your goals for the race?
I entered this year's race to face the challenge head-on and love every minute of it.

What music do you listen to on the trail?
My twin daughters Jess and Mack create new playlists for me before every race. Let's just say I get some good laughs out on the trail with some of the song choices!

How did your dogs get their names?/ How do you choose names?
Most of our dogs are named based on sports themes. The year my team has a lot of the NHL teams - Canuck, Jet, Senator, Penguin, Star.

List recent sled dog races and/or best performances
2015 Yukon Quest - 7th; 2015 Iditarod - 18th, 2016 Iditarod - 35th, 2019 Iditarod - 30th