HUMAN

Name: Maren Johnson

Age: 31

Residence: Logan, Utah and Denali Park, Alaska

Occupation: Sled Dog Handler and Dairy Farmer

Years involved with Iditarod: 7

Iditarod Roles: Volunteer/Returned Dog Coordinator

Current Location: McGrath, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 8, 2022

Temperature: 25 F Outdoors 

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

I got involved with Iditarod in 2016 after spending the summer of 2015 up on the Mendenhall Glacier running tours with sled dogs. I got hooked on that, and decided to move to a racing kennel the following winter, which is what brought me to Iditarod.

What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?

I’m here today and involved with Iditarod because once you’re hooked, you’re hooked for life. And I just can’t get it out of my blood, period.

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

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was in 2019, which was the first year I got to go to Nome. And just seeing how enthusiastic and jazzed up the dogs still were after running a thousand miles was really inspiring.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is that it will always work out in the end.