HUMAN

Name: Karen Stott
Age: 61 
Residence: Texas
Occupation: I’m a home health care provider.
Years involved with Iditarod: This will be my 10th year.
Iditarod Role: This year, I am an Iditarider, and I’m going to be a dog handler for the restart.

Current Location: Lakefront Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska
Date of Photo: March 6, 2020
Temperature: 2F/Outdoors

What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?

I got involved with Iditarod 10 years ago because my husband and I had a Siberian Husky and my husband loves Alaska. We decided to come and spectate and thought, why are we on this side of the tape? So we came back the next year as volunteers and I’ve come for five years. I’ve been to Minnesota for the last four for the Bear Grease, and in 2020 I came back.

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

I’m here today, back at Iditarod for 2020, because my travel bestie, Gatta McGavin, said that life is too short, and even though we weren’t planning on coming, we need to do it, so we’re here.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences?

My favorite Iditarod story is dog handling for the ceremonial start for Matt Failor and halfway to the start line I said, “I can’t do this anymore. I have to step aside.” I was the front person on the dog team. And just then, one of his dogs bumped my back leg and I went down flying in the perfect example of drop and roll, couldn’t breathe, I was sweating, I was taking snow out of my neck. And he stopped the team and waited for me. I thought he would just keep going. And caught my breath and I said, “Okay, I can do this.” And we made it to the start line and it’s my favorite Iditarod story. 

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure is that when you meet someone and they change your life, that really matters. And life is too short to say, “no, I’m too old,” or “that’s too hard” And it’s important to do the things that you love and that matter to you while you can and to tell the people you love, that you love them while you can.