HUMAN

Name: Debbie Granberry

Age: 70

Residence: Cuero, Texas

Occupation: Retired Teacher

Years involved with the Iditarod: 6

Iditarod Role: Volunteer with Alaska Missions & Retreats and also the, Iditarod Committee.

Current Location: Nome, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 15, 2022

Temperature: 30F Outdoors & 68F Indoors at Iditarod Headquarters

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

I got involved with the Iditarod because I watched a documentary on television about Libby Riddle’s when she was the first female winner, and thought it was really brave, couldn’t believe someone would do something like that. I’m a school teacher and we were encouraged to have the children study the Iditarod because they love it, it’s about dogs, it’s about racing, and that got me involved.

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

I’m here today because a friend of mine has a non-profit called Alaska Missions & Retreats. And she comes to the Iditarod and brings a crew of volunteers and we do several things in the community as well as with the Iditarod. And my main motivation is I teach children during the week and I do a little mini vacation Bible school. And that’s a lot of fun, but also just enjoy seeing the mushers and the people and being somewhere cooler than Texas.

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

My most memorable Iditarod experience, and I’m not sure exactly what year, but I think Dallas and Aliy Zirkle were very close and Jeff King was close, and they all hit really bad weather at the blow hole. And we sat in here for hours waiting and not knowing what was going on. And then they came out and marked that Jeff King had scratched and the whole place just gasped. We got, what is going on out there? And when Dallas came in, he just stopped a sled and put his head in his hands like, I’m still alive. And he didn’t realize he had won. He said, “Where is Aliy?” He thought Aliy was already here and she came in right behind him. And it was like they met their mortality, that was very difficult year, but to wait here for hours and witness that, it was really interesting.

What in life do you know for sure?

I know for sure that Jesus Christ is the son of God and He’s my savior. And part of the reason I’m here is to impart that to the children and the people who live here in Nome.