HUMAN

Name: Debbie Merriner

Age: 52

Residence: Galena, Alaska

Occupation:  Homeschool mom, library teacher, substitute, and Iditarod volunteer

Years involved with the Iditarod: 3

Iditarod Roles: Running the dogs down, helping to carry hay bales, helping to bring food, cleaning up the dog yard with my kids because my kids love the dogs.

Current Location: Galena, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 11, 2022

Temperature: 12F Outdoors

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

I got involved with the Iditarod five years ago when our family moved here from Anchorage, mostly because my kids love the dogs. I’ve got two girls and they loved running the dogs down. They’re both in cross country running. They would run the dogs down and then I would help pet the dogs and get them settled and give them their hay and all of that. They help the mushers if the mushers needed food or directions somewhere. I love that, and now my kids are graduating and here I am still coming out because it’s so much fun.

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

I’m here today involved with Iditarod because I’ve got one more kiddo here who loves to do this. Even if he wasn’t here, I’d still be coming here just because it’s so much fun as a big community to get other and see the dogs coming in and track them coming through.It’s so exciting to get your favorite musher and cheer them on and to have them come through and sit and chat with you, which we can’t really do because of COVID this year, but that’s a super fun part of Iditarod that we really like.

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

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences other than having just the excitement of being here and watching the dogs come through is probably visiting with the people that come as the fan clubs. You walk into the hall and you stand there and just absorb everything, and you hear languages like all over the world. You’ll hear Chinese over here, and Japanese here and Russian here in Norwegian. It’s just fascinating that these guys come from all over the world and then follow all the trail, following their favorite mushers along. It’s just hysterical fun.

What in life do you know for sure?

Some things you know for sure and I know that God is good all the time.