HUMAN
Name: Christian Schlicht
Age: 26
Residence: Queens, New York City
Occupation: Independent filmmaker
Years involved with Iditarod: 1
Iditarod role: Livestream camera for the Iditarod Insider
Current Location: Unalakleet, Alaska
Date of Photo: March 16, 2020
Temperature: 28F/Outdoors
What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?
I got involved with Iditarod through Art Aldridge of the Iditarod Insider. Art is responsible for the live stream camera portion of the Insider subscription packages. I’ve been working for Art for the last four years as a camera assistant production assistant camera operator. And this year a new position opened up, and Art decided to offer it to me and I took it.
What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?
I’m here today involved with Iditarod because I’m in pursuit of my passion. Shooting video live or recorded is very important to me, and bringing people special content is what really drives me to work hard in life and achieve success. Being able to share the Iditarod with hundreds and thousands of people across the globe is really something special, and it’s what keeps me here and awake for 20 hours on end. And that’s why it’s so important to me.
Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences.
One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was waking up my first morning in Takotna, Alaska. Takotna’s a small village of roughly 50 people. I had to wake up around 5:30 to set up the livestream camera to get it going. And it was pretty quiet in town, not many people are awake. The sun started to come over the mountain across the way, and I remember just thinking I’m here in one of the most remote places in the world. I just had a coffee in my left hand and my gear in the right and thinking this is really special to be in such beautiful views and clean air and a beautiful place, and it just will always stick with me.
What in life do you know for sure?
What I know for sure in life is that we need to always be in pursuit of what makes us happy. Without that, we don’t really have much because what matters to us is what keeps us going; that and to always be kind to others because life’s too short to not be.