Todd Palin was born in Dillingham, Alaska to Blanche Kallstrom and Jim Palin.[1] His grandmother, Helena Andree, is Yup'ik (indigenous peoples of Alaska).[1] In 1988, he married his high school sweetheart, Sarah Heath[1] in a courthouse ceremony to save her parents the costs of a wedding. Two retirees from a frontier home across the street served as witnesses.[2] Mr. Palin has taken some college courses but does not have a degree.[3]

Palin is a union member belonging to the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (United Steelworkers).[4] For 18 years, he worked for BP in the North Slope oil fields of Alaska. In 2007, in order to avoid a conflict of interest, he quit his job as production supervisor when his employer became involved in natural gas pipeline negotiations with his wife's administration.[1] In addition to his duties as First Gentleman, he is a commercial salmon fisherman at Bristol Bay on the Nushugak River.[5]

Public life

One of his advocacy causes has been to encourage young Alaskans to consider jobs in the oil and gas industry. “…For those who don’t have the financial background to go to college, just being a product of that on-the-job-training is really important” Mr. Palin has stated.[6] A different advocacy is to advise the Governor on workforce development issues for a natural gas pipeline which is planned to be capable of transporting 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day;[7] the U.S. is currently importing 1.4 billion cubic feet per day.[8]

Palin is a community volunteer working in youth sports, coaching hockey and basketball.[9] In his role as First Gentleman, he has hosted a reception for previous first ladies and residents of the Governor’s Mansion in Juneau.[10]

Champion snowmobile racer

In 2008, while defending the Tesoro Iron Dog Championship, he was injured when he was thrown 70 feet[11] from his machine.[12] He was sent to the hospital but managed to finish fourth place. [13] This race is the world's longest[14] snowmobile race which traces the path of the Iditarod race with an extra journey of several hundred miles to Fairbanks added. He first competed in the race in 1993 and has been the champion four times.[6] His racing co-pilot is Scott Davis.[15] He has previously raced with Dusty Van Meter in the race and they were co-champions in 2000 and 2002.[16]

Family life

The Palins have five children. Their son Track, the oldest, is in the United States Army and scheduled for deployment to Iraq on September 11 of this year. They have three daughters, Bristol, Willow, Piper[6], and a second son, Trig[17] who has Down Syndrome and was born one month prematurely[18]. Mr. Palin fishes and is a pilot[19] holding an Airplane Single Engine Land license.[20] On August 29, 2008, Mrs. Palin was announced as Senator John McCain's choice for the Republican Party Vice Presidential nominee. Hours before, Mr. Palin hinted to his parents-in-law of the impending announcement but did not overtly reveal the news.

-----------------------

Leaving Wikipedia, here's the google map for the Palin house in Wasilla, at least, where she lived before becoming Governor.