HUMAN

Name: ROGER TROUTMAN
Age: 66
Residence: CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Occupation: RETIRED VETERINARIAN
Years involved with Iditarod: SINCE 2001
Iditarod Role: TRAIL VETERINARIAN
Current Location: NOME, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 14, 2019
Temperature: 22F / OUTDOORS

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

IT’S AN ADVENTURE. IT’S KIND OF A CONTROLLED ADVENTURE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND MEET NEW AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH THE DOGS. AND THEY’RE JUST INCREDIBLE ATHLETES. IT’S FUN TO SEE AND MEET NEW PEOPLE, WHICH WE DO EVERY YEAR. IT’S ALSO FUN TO RENEW FRIENDSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE’VE SEEN OFF AND ON OVER THE LAST 17 YEARS.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

REALLY A COLLECTION OF JUST EVERYTHING THAT I’VE DONE AND MEETING THE PEOPLE; THE AIR PLANE FLIGHTS, SEEING THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. I’VE REALLY ENJOYED – AND I GUESS, MY SINGLE FAVORITE CHECKPOINT – WHICH I REALLY LIKED ALL OF THEM – WAS RAINY PASS. THE PERRINS ARE JUST A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT OWN THE FACILITY. BUCKEY WINKLEY, WHO’S BEEN A PART OF THAT FOR THE ENTIRE TIME; JUST MEETING HIM AND HIS PERSONALITY, HIS T-MODEL SNOWMOBILE CAR THAT HE’S HAD FOR SEVERAL YEARS. JUST THE INTERACTION WITH THEM AND THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS – BOTH VETERINARY AND NON-VETERINARY VOLUNTEERS, HAS BEEN THE THINGS I’VE LIKED THE BEST.

What do you know for sure?:

TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE ONLY THING I KNOW FOR SURE IN LIFE IS THAT I’M GOING TO HEAVEN BECAUSE I’VE ACCEPTED JESUS AS MY SAVIOR. EVERYTHING ELSE AND THINGS THAT I HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH THE YEARS THAT WOULD HAPPEN, MOST OF THEM DIDN’T HAPPEN LIKE I THOUGHT THEY WOULD. I’VE HAD SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN A REALLY POSITIVE WAY THAT ALSO I NEVER EXPECTED WOULD HAPPEN. I THINK EVERYBODY HAS IN LIFE SOME VERY NEGATIVE THINGS THAT HAPPEN AND SOME DIFFICULT CHALLENGES AND LIFE EXPERIENCES AS WELL.