HUMAN

Name: MARVIN DEAN COX
Age: 65, BUT THAT’S ONLY 18 CELSIUS
Residence: EAGLE RIVER, ALASKA
Occupation: I’M RETIRED, SO I DO WHAT I WANT TO DO.
Years involved with Iditarod: I MOVED HERE IN 2010 AND STARTED WITH THE IDITAROD IN 2011.
Iditarod Role: I’M THE ASSISTANT AT THE REGISTRATION DESK, BUT I DO A LOT OF THINGS. I DO GREEN TEAM FOR THE IDITARIDERS AT THE END OF THE RIDE TO GET THEM OUT. I DO RESTART SECURITY. I DO THE MUSHER’S BANQUET. I DO A LOT OF THINGS IN THE IDITAROD.
Current Location: DENA’INA CONVENTION CENTER – ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Date of Photo: FEBRUARY 28, 2019
Temperature: 62F / INDOORS

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

TO ME, THE IDITAROD IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL ALASKAN EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT IS A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION PUTTING ON A WORLD-CLASS EVENT. IT IS LITERALLY WORLD-WIDE VOLUNTEERS, THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. AND IT’S PEOPLE THAT GET TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR AND THEY BECOME YOUR ONCE-A-YEAR FAMILY.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

DEPENDING ON YOUR DEFINITION OF REWARDING, THE MOST MEMORABLE IS, I WENT TO NOME FOR THE FINISH THE SAME YEAR THAT ALIY ZIRKLE WAS ARM WRESTLING AN ATTORNEY FROM SAN DIEGO AND MANAGED TO BREAK HER WRIST ARM WRESTLING. AND AFTER THAT EVENT– I DIDN’T SEE THAT EVENT, BUT AFTERWARDS, I WAS GOING TO BRIEF THE BOY SCOUTS AT THEIR JAMBOREE (BECAUSE I’M WITH THE ANCHORAGE SEARCH TEAM, SEARCH AND RESCUE.) AND, LO AND BEHOLD, STANDING NEXT TO ME WAS THE GUEST SPEAKER, DALLAS SEAVEY. AND SO I TURNED TO DALLAS AND SAID, “HEY DALLAS, HAVE YOU ARM WRESTLED ALIY ZIRKLE?” AND HE TURNED TO ME WITHOUT A PAUSE AND SAID, “IS MY ARM IN A CAST?” WELL, AT THE NEXT IDITAROD, I’M AT THE WELCOME DESK – THE REGISTRATION DESK – AND I’M TELLING THIS STORY TO THE VOLUNTEERS. AND UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, ALIY ZIRKLE IS STANDING IN THE DOORWAY. AND SHE HEARS IT. SHE COMES ON IN. AND JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER, DALLAS SEAVEY COMES IN THE DOOR. AND ALIY GOES TO DALLAS AND SAYS, “HEY DALLAS. IS YOUR ARM IN A CAST?”

What do you know for sure?:

I KNOW FOR SURE THAT THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST A COLLISION OF CHEMICALS; THAT WE WERE CREATED. WE WERE CREATED FOR A PURPOSE. AND WE NEED TO SEEK OUT THAT PURPOSE.