HUMAN

Name: GARY CAMPEN
Age: 74 TODAY
Residence: PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON
Occupation: RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER.
Years involved with Iditarod: IN 1979 I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE RACE
Iditarod Role: SPECTATOR
Current Location: KALTAG, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 10, 2019
Temperature: 30F / OUTDOORS

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

I’M HERE TO SEE WONDERFUL FRIENDS AND TO SEE A FEW OF THE DOG TEAMS AND DO WHATEVER I CAN TO HELP OUT IN THE COMMUNITY HALL AND HELP THE IDITAROD ALONG.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

ONE WAS TRAVELING WITH COLONEL NORMAN VAUGHAN WHO WAS 72 YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME. AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING ON THE TRAIL WITH HIM LEARNING ABOUT SOME OF HIS TECHNIQUES OF TAKING CARE OF COLD FEET AND HOW TO TREAT THEM ON THE TRAIL. VERY EXPERIENCED. WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? THAT WAS 1978.

What do you know for sure?:

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE. THAT LIFE IS EXCITING AND THE MORE YOU GET INVOLVED, THE MORE YOU STAY ACTIVE, GET YOURSELF INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE; DO THINGS, THE MORE EXCITING LIFE IS; THE MORE MEANINGFUL. MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE IDITAROD AND LIVING IN KALTAG – IT ABSOLUTELY CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER; MANY THOUSANDS OF PERCENT BETTER. I LOOK DIFFERENTLY UPON EVERYTHING THAT I DO. SO I’M ADVOCATING STAYING INVOLVED; BEING INVOLVED IN THINGS WITH PEOPLE; DIFFERENT KINDS OF EVENTS, DIFFERENT PEOPLE; DIFFERENT THINGS. AND GET ACTIVE.