HUMAN

Name: Craig Bullen

Age: 47
Residence: I live in Squamish in Canada
Occupation: I work in the TV and film industry.

Years involved with Iditarod: This is my first year involved in the Iditarod directly

Iditarod Role: Volunteer at the Rohn checkpoint

Current Location: Rohn, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 10, 2020
Temperature: 5F/Outdoors

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

So I got involved with Iditarod directly this year. I was planning to volunteer for the ITI, the human-powered race, which proceeds the Iditarod. Another volunteer here at Rohn who also volunteers for both events, suggested that I stay for another week and come and volunteer for Iditarod. So I definitely jumped at that chance. But I’ve been coming out to Alaska doing this type of stuff now for five years. Well, 2016 was the first. I did two races, one with the ITI and then got to come out here and experience Iditarod.

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

I’m here today involved with the Iditarod and I’ve been coming back to Alaska now for five years. It’s an evolution somewhat. Firstly, it’s really intrigue with how people operate in Alaska in these conditions. It’s a rare chance to experience a life gone by in many ways. Then it kind of becomes an intrigue into your own abilities and your own challenges. So that’s definitely been a strong draw to test myself. And then the more times I’ve come back, it’s meeting the people. It’s a family away from family and incredibly welcoming. It’s not even like-minded people. It’s people with a similar purpose and it’s a great place to be and great people to hang out with.

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

I guess one of the most memorable Iditarod experience was really a pre-Iditarod experience. It was out training for the ITI race. And one of the first times I was out on the Skwentna River riding my bike at night and being followed by a dog team. It was my first experience of a dog team and a musher out on the ice at night. And it was such a surreal experience. It was really quite ethereal. My mind was racing to make sense of what I was seeing as it was coming towards me. The movement and the shadows are like nothing else. It felt like a primeval experience to see that. It was something else, and that was pretty special.

What do you know for sure?:

What I know in life for sure is that the unexpected that comes and is hard for you is where you find things that are most rewarding. So the most reward comes from the unexpected that you overcome.