Sarah Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho to
Charles and Sarah Heath. Both parents were educators. Charles
was a science teacher, as well as a track coach. Her mother,
Sarah, was a school secretary.
As an infant, the family
moved to Alaska. Sarah went to high school in Wasilla. There,
she played on the school basketball team and became the
captain of the team that won Alaska's high school championship
game in 1982. In that game, she sank a crucial free throw in
the waning moments of the game to seal the victory.
Sarah entered and came in second in the Miss Alaska pageant
after winning the Miss Wasilla contest. Along with a second
place finish, she won the "Ms. Congeniality Award" and a
college scholarship.
Palin pursued higher education at
Hawaii Pacific, North Idaho College, and earned her Bachelor
of Science degree at the University of Idaho.
Besides
helping with fishing business owner by her husband's family,
Palin also was a sportscaster for the local TV station in
Anchorage.
In 1992, Sarah Palin ran for and won a
position on the city council for Wasilla, Alaska. She served
for four years until she ran for mayor and won in 1996. She
ran again in 1999 and won by a landslide.
During her
tenure as mayor Palin cut property taxes, improved roads,
reduced her own salary, improved transportation, and built a
youth shelter.
Due to term limitations, Sarah did not
run for mayor at the end of her second term in 2002.
At
the age of 42, Palin became Alaska's youngest governor ever.
She beat former governor, Tony Knowles by a margin of over 7
percent of the vote. Her approval rating as governor has been
very high - currently over 80 percent.
As governor, she
has deviated from a hard party line. She has stood up against
questionable ethics by members of her own party.
Sarah
married Todd Palin in 1988. They have two sons, Track and
Trig; and three daughters, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Track
Palin is currently enlisted in the United States Army and will
be deployed to Iraq on the seventh anniversary of the
terrorist attacks of 9/11.
