HUMAN
Name: Harinder Chahal
Age: 37
Residence: Washington DC
Occupation: I work for the Food and Drug Administration as a senior public health advisor
Years involved with Iditarod: This is my first year
Iditarod role: I am the communications volunteer here but also doing trail
Current Location: Nulato, Alaska
Date of Photo: March 15, 2020
Temperature: Somewhere between 20 to 30F/Outdoors
What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?
I got involved with Iditarod starting maybe a few months ago. I met this guy named Reese. He runs a communications team back in Nevada in the desert, in a very different setting, and somehow for some odd reason, started talking about mushing. He mentioned he was part of Iditarod. That was maybe five months ago. And I told him I’ll see him in Anchorage, and here we are on the trail in Nulato now. That was pretty much it.
What is your Why?..Why are you here today and involved in Iditarod?
I’m here today and involved with Iditarod because I genuinely love mushing. I have mushed very briefly for a few weeks in the Yukon a couple of years ago. That happened by happenstance. But mushing in the wilderness of the Yukon was just a wonderful experience. And I wanted to see it from the other side as part of this incredible race and athletic event that is clearly very challenging for, not only the mushers and the athletic teams, but also everybody involved given the logistic challenges, just being out here in this type of environment. We are currently camped out on the Yukon River, quite literally, because our checkpoint needs changed at the very last minute, right before we came out here. So, I’m doing this because it’s tough and it’s challenging. It’s fun, and mushing is a very unique way of life and it’s a unique way of transport. I just wanted to learn more about it.
Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences?
One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences has to be meeting people from all different walks of life. I, myself, come from a very unique walk of life in terms of all the people I meet around here. I’m not a musher and I don’t live in Alaska in cold temperatures, and surprisingly enough, a lot of people who volunteer for the race come from the East coast who may have never lived in a place like this and never mushed. And they come from different walks of life and it is just amazing to see all these people from completely random places that you would never guess, coming here just to help out for a week or two or even just a few days sometimes. Getting to know those volunteers has been a privilege. Honestly, it’s a humbling experience. We have veterinarians here who have decades of experience and now they’re here just because they’re here. We have people who have done amazing things all over the world and just to be able to sit down with them and just talk to them, it’s been wonderful.
What do you know for sure?:
What I know for sure in life is that change is constant and you better be ready to move, just roll with the waves as they come. For example, I was supposed to go to Galena, but several hours before my flight, I was told I’m coming to Nulato. Then we got stranded in a different checkpoint, and here we are. There were supposed to be multiple folks coming here, and we were supposed to have a nice building to camp out in, but just after we landed, we were told that’s not going to happen, so we’ll be camping on the river. One thing I know in life for sure, it’s change and the challenges that come with that are an opportunity and you better take it as comes.