HUMAN

Name: John Cooper

Age: 74
Residence: Anchorage, Alaska

Occupation: I’m a importer of Alaska souvenir giftware. And we make sled dog booties.

Years involved with Iditarod: Almost 40 years

Past Iditarod Roles: I was a participant in 1980, it was my rookie race. And then I ran again in ’84, ’85, ’86, and ’87

Current Location: Settler’s Bay Lodge in Wasilla, Alaska
Date of Photo: March 1, 2022

Temperature: 68 F Indoors

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

I first got involved with the Iditarod in 1979. And a good friend named Pete MacManus had already run the race a number of times, as well as Alex Sheldon. That time, I was a homesteader up the Ambler River, about 55 miles up from the village. And I used dogs mostly for transportation, and for exploring, and hauling firewood and cabin logs. I wasn’t very interested in racing until Pete and Alex goaded me into it, and took off from there.

What was one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences?

My most memorable Iditarod experiences was going through a blizzard from Shaktoolik to Koyuk. And we left after dark. Libby had gone out the night before and was staying at a shelter cabin. And Dewey Halverson and I went out to chase her. And it was a pretty stiff blizzard. The dogs had got all packed with snow. It was pretty hard to face it, but the dogs were able to do it, I was very proud of them.

What does the 50th running of the Iditarod mean to you?

Knowing this is the 50th Iditarod makes me feel old. When I first ran in 1980, I did so without feeling I was prepared to run, because I thought the race wouldn’t last. I didn’t think it would go 10 years. And here we are at 50 years.

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure is, life is too short to fit in all the things that you dream of doing, and that you’ve tried to do.