HUMAN

Name: DR. JENNIFER HENNESSEY
Age: 41
Residence: HOUSTON, TEXAS IN A SUBURB CALLED CYPRESS
Occupation: I’M AN ER VETERINARIAN. I’M THE OWNER OF ANIMAL ER VETERINARY OF NORTHWEST HOUSTON AND ALSO WONDER PET REHAB.
Years involved with Iditarod: THIS IS MY PROUD ROOKIE YEAR. GETTING STARTED. THIS YEAR PREP HAS BEEN EXTENDED SINCE LAST NOVEMBER. TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING ORGANIZED AND JUST LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RACE AND THE MUSHERS AND JUST SOME OF THE TRADITIONS THAT GO ON HERE IN ALASKA.
Iditarod Role: MY ROLE IS A TRAIL VETERINARIAN THIS YEAR, SO WE’LL BE INSPECTING THE DOGS WHEN THEY COME IN AND THEN ASSESSING WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO HOLD SOME BACK OR LET THEM REST OR RECOVER, OR MEDICATE ANY ISSUES.
Current Location: FINGER LAKE, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 4, 2019
Temperature: 9F / OUTDOORS

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

MY KEY MOTIVATION IS CERTAINLY TO STEP INTO A NEW ELEMENT. AND THE MORE I EXPOSE MYSELF TO SOMETHING THAT’S FOREIGN OR NEW, I ALWAYS GROW FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES. SO I’M HOPING TO GAIN CERTAINLY NEW FRIENDS AND NEW CONNECTIONS HERE, BUT ALSO KIND OF A WHOLE NEW SECTOR OF WORK OF VETERINARY MEDICINE OUTSIDE OF MY DAY-TO-DAY IN-HOSPITAL CARE

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

SO FAR I WOULD SAY, IT’S THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH COLLEAGUES FROM ALL OVER THE U.S. – ACTUALLY, ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT’S PHENOMENAL TO BE STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH THEM, KIND OF SHARING OUR STORIES AND EXPERIENCES AND THEN COMBINING WHAT WE KNOW CERTAINLY TO BE HERE FOR THESE ATHLETES.

What do you know for sure?:

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT LIMITATIONS WE SET FOR OURSELVES AND CERTAINLY THE MORE UNSURE WE ARE OR THE MORE NEW WE GET OURSELVES IN, LIKE IN A SITUATION, WE EITHER HOLD OURSELVES BACK AND MISS QUITE A BIT. AND FOR ME BUSTING THROUGH THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU NERVOUS OR FEEL UNCERTAIN, THAT’S THE DIRECTION TO ALWAYS FOLLOW BECAUSE THERE’S ALWAYS SOME GREAT THINGS BEHIND THOSE DOORS ONCE YOU ACTUALLY GET THROUGH THAT DIFFICULT MENTAL COMPONENT, I GUESS.