HUMAN

Name: DIANA MORONEY
Age: 63
Residence: CHUGIAK, ALASKA
Occupation: I’M A COMMERCIAL PILOT NOWADAYS
Years involved with Iditarod: SINCE 1983 FROM RACING IT AND THEN 1998 AS A PILOT OFF AND ON THE YEARS THAT I DIDN’T RACE IT UNTIL I RETIRED FROM RACING IN ‘05
Iditarod Role: NOW AS JUST AS ONE OF THE AIR FORCE PILOTS. SO – AND I SOMETIMES AM LOAD COORDINATOR OUT IN MCGRATH DIFFERENT — YOU KNOW, IN THE BEGINNING. WORKING WITH THE AIR FORCE SUPPORTING THE RACE.
Current Location: WILLOW, ALASKA
Date of Photo: FEBRUARY 20, 2019
Temperature: 6F / OUTDOORS

What is your Why?.. Why are you here today and involved in Iditarod?:

WELL, SINCE 1983 WHEN I FIRST GOT INVOLVED — AND I’VE DONE LOGISTICS AND RACING THE RACE AND WORKING ON THE AIR FORCE AND FLYING AS A PILOT — AND NOW, IT’S JUST SO MUCH FUN TO FLY IT AND SEE IT FROM THE AIR SINCE I CAN’T BE ON THE BACK OF A SLED ANYMORE. SO ONCE YOU GET INVOLVED IN IT, LIKE MOST OTHER PEOPLE, IT JUST SEEMS THAT THE YEARS GO BY AND YOU JUST KEEP COMING BACK.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST REWARDING WAS MY VERY FIRST TIME I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE. THAT WAS DEFINITELY… AND ACTUALLY EVERY OTHER TIME AFTER THAT, THE NINE TIMES I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE AFTER THAT, BECAUSE IT’S JUST SUCH AN EMOTIONAL HIGH WHEN YOU CROSS THAT.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT?  IT JUST – YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED IT. YOU’VE GOTTEN THERE. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT KIND OF A YEAR IT WAS — THE TYPE OF CONDITIONS – YOU MADE IT THE WHOLE WAY. YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD YOUR UPS AND DOWNS ON THE RACE, BUT GOING DOWN FRONT STREET, IT JUST…. THE EMOTIONS JUST REALLY SWELL UP, AND IT’S JUST AN INCREDIBLE FEELING. AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT THE SECOND, THE THIRD, THE FOURTH TIME, BUT IT WASN’T. IT’S THAT SAME FEELING YOU GET.

What do you know for sure?:

WELL, I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I GET TO RETIRE IN TWO YEARS, A LITTLE BIT UNDER, AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE GRANDKIDS. AND I JUST KNOW I HAVE TO TRY TO STAY HEALTHY SO I’LL BE THERE FOR THEM. I MEAN, WE NEVER KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.