HUMAN
Name: Chris Dassler
Age: 57
Residence: Williamsburg, Virginia
Occupation: I’m a veterinary surgical specialist
Years involved with Iditarod: This will be my first year at the Iditarod
Iditarod Role: I will be one of the veterinary support members. My current checkpoints have been determined to be Yentna and Takotna.
Current Location: Iditarod Headquarters, Wasilla, AK
Date of Photo: March 1, 2023
Temperature: 15 degrees
What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?
I first became involved with the Iditarod just by reputation. A local veterinarian who sends me cases had mentioned he had done it. It sounded pretty cool. That was about five years ago, and he’s encouraged me every year to get involved. So this will be the first year that I’ve managed to achieve that goal.
What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?
I’m here today to provide veterinary support for the mushers and their teams as they make their way from Wasilla to Nome.
Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences:
I don’t have a lot of Iditarod experience yet, so I’m not sure how to answer that one. I did have an opportunity to go out with a 25 year veterinarian of the Iditarod for a mushing experience with him and his name’s Linwood Fiedler, and just an awesome guy. Showed me a lot about how the musher side of it is, and I think that’s going to help me support the mushers as they come through as a veterinarian.
What in life do you know for sure?
What I know for sure in life is nothing is static. Everything changes.