HUMAN

Name: DEAN OSMAR
Age: 72
Residence: CLAM GULTCH, ALASKA
Occupation: COMMERCIAL FISHING, SLED DOG TRAINER, MUSHER, RACER.
Years involved with Iditarod: I’VE BEEN FOLLOWING IT SINCE THE BEGINNING. I’VE COME UP TO EVERY BANQUET FROM THE BEGINNING IN 1978, SO QUITE AWHILE.
Iditarod Role: I’M A BIG FAN AND I’VE BEEN FOLLOWING IT FOREVER. AND I RACED IT A COUPLE TIMES AND I DID PRETTY WELL. I’VE GOT A LOT OF FRIENDS. I STILL HAVE DOGS IN THE RACE. USUALLY I HAVE A CLIENT THAT TAKES SOME OF MY DOGS TO NOME. THIS YEAR I HAVE NO CLIENT, BUT I DO HAVE ABOUT A DOZEN DOGS IN VARIOUS TEAMS.
Current Location: LAKEFRONT ANCHORAGE HOTEL – ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Date of Photo: FEBRUARY 28, 2019
Temperature: 65F / INDOORS

What is your Why?.. Why are you here today and involved in Iditarod?:

IT’S JUST A BIG EVENT. IT’S THE IDITAROD. IT’S THE ONE TIME A YEAR, SUPER BOWL , MARDI GRAS ROLLED INTO ONE. I’VE GOT FRIENDS RACING IT AND I’VE GOT A HANDLER THAT MAYBE WANTS TO RACE IT IN THE FUTURE. AND JUST TO BE PART OF THE EVENT.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

WELL, I’VE HAD A FEW. I GUESS THE FIRST I DID IT IN ‘82, I HAD A PRETTY SERIOUS RUPTURED APPENDIX AND I CAME PRETTY CLOSE TO NOT BEING HERE. AND MY WEIGHT WENT FROM 170 DOWN TO 138. AND I STARTED THE RACE AT 140, SO I WAS JUST EMACIATED. AND BEING ABLE TO FINISH THAT YEAR, IN ’82, WITH THE COLD, MISERABLE TOUGH FEAR AND I MADE IT THROUGH. SO I KNEW I HAD A PRETTY GOOD TEAM AND THAT IN THE FUTURE, IF I HAD A BETTER TEAM, AN ADULT TEAM, I COULD PROBABLY DO ALL RIGHT. BUT YOU ENDED UP DOING ALL RIGHT? TWO YEARS LATER I GOT #1. AND THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WE HAD TO HAVE SO MANY SQUARE INCHES OF FLORESCENT ON OUR COATS SO THE HEADLAMPS WOULD SEE IT. AND I HAD THIS BIG PARKA AND I HAD MY WIFE AT THE TIME SEW A BIG #1 ON THE BACK OF MY PARKA. AND I WENT TO THE MUSHER’S MEETING AT THE START AND SHOWED THAT TO RICK SWENSON AND SUSAN BUTCHER. AND I SAID, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THIS THE WHOLE RACE BECAUSE I’M GOING TO BE IN FRONT OF YA. THAT BIG #1.

What do you know for sure?:

WELL, I’VE ALWAYS BEEN AN OPTIMISTIC PERSON. I LEARNED THAT FROM MY DAD. AND JUST, I FEEL THE CUP’S ALWAYS HALF FULL INSTEAD OF HALF EMPTY. AND JUST GLAD TO BE HERE; GLAD TO BE BREATHING; JUST HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME. BEING ABLE TO BE IN THIS EVENT AND RAISE KIDS AND JUST BE THERE.