HUMAN

Name: Chris Wright
Age: 50
Residence: Anchorage, Alaska
Occupation: Anchorage Polic Officer
Years involved with Iditarod: 13
Iditarod Role: Working traffic control for Anchorage Police Department
Current Location: Downtown Anchorage Ceremonial Start, Anchorage, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 1, 2025
Temperature: 30F outside

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

I first became involved with Iditarod when I moved to Anchorage, Alaska, 13 years ago this week, during Fur Rondy week. I randomly walked into La Mex Restaurant, was there by myself eating because my family didn’t move to Alaska until the summer and I met Lance Mackey. Lance Mackey and his family were there. I ended up meeting them. They invited me to help them that weekend. I ended up being a musher handler for Lance Mackey the week I moved here. And I’ve been involved ever since.

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

I am here today and involved with Iditarod because since then I moved here for an investor management job, but seven years ago I retired from Wall Street, became an Anchorage police officer. So now I’m working traffic control for the Iditarod and I get to talk to people and just help generally with traffic.

Tell me about your most memorable Iditarod experiences?:

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was when my wife and I were volunteering for the Iditarod, we actually got to fly out to Skwentna and just do some musher handling stuff there and dog handling and fly back with some dogs that had been dropped. 

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure in life is that I enjoy Alaska. I love Alaska. I became a police officer because I didn’t want to leave the state and I really love serving the community.