HUMAN

Name: KAREN TALLENT
Age: 64 AS OF A FEW DAYS AGO
Residence: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Occupation: I WORK IN TV AND FILM PRODUCTION
Years involved with Iditarod: 27 VERY FUN YEARS
Iditarod Role: I HELP WITH – I’VE DONE ALMOST EVERY JOB. I’VE BEEN A DOG HANDLER, I HELP IN THE MEDIA BRIEFING, I DO THE SETUP DOWNTOWN FOR THE MUSHER PARKING THE DAY OF THE RACE; I HELP IN THE BANQUET. THOSE ARE SOME OF MY JOBS.
Current Location: LAKEFRONT ANCHORAGE HOTEL – ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Date of Photo: FEBRUARY 28, 2019
Temperature: 65F / INDOORS

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

IT’S SUCH A UNIQUELY ALASKAN EVENT. AND I LOVE THE DOGS. IT’S SUCH AN AMAZING JOURNEY THAT THE MUSHERS AND THE DOGS GO ON. AND IT’S JUST VERY SPECIAL. AND WHEN I FIRST STARTED VOLUNTEERING AND WAS DOG HANDLING, YOU KNOW, HERE ARE DOGS THAT DON’T KNOW ME, AND THEY JUST WERE SO HAPPY AND JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE ME KISSES AND, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO BE LOVED. AND IT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT THEY LOVE TO DO. AND I’M JUST REALLY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THE MUSHERS DO AND HOW FAR THEY TRAVEL WITH THEIR AMAZING ANIMALS AND JUST WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

I THINK IT WAS OUT IN MCGRATH. I WAS HELPING TO COOK AT THE CHECKPOINT. YOU KNOW IT WAS 20 BELOW. THE NORTHERN LIGHTS WERE OUT EVERY NIGHT. AND THEN I THINK IT WAS AROUND ONE IN THE MORNING, GOING TO WATCH THE FIRST MUSHERS COME THROUGH MCGRATH. AND I THINK IT WAS ALIY ZIRKLE THAT YEAR. AND, YOU KNOW, HERE IT’S COLD AND IT’S – AND SHE COMES IN AND JUST HAD A HUGE SMILE AND IS SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS FOR THE KIDS THERE IN MCGRATH. AND JUST COULDN’T BE MORE SWEET AND WONDERFUL. AND IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, A MAGIC MOMENT WATCHING HER COME IN AND SEEING THAT HUGE SMILE ON HER FACE.

What do you know for sure?:

YOU KNOW, I’M NOT SURE WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE. ALTHOUGH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REALLY BE ENGAGED ANDBE PRESENT IN THE THINGS THAT YOU DO AND BE KIND AND CARING TO THE PEOPLE THAT — YOU KNOW, TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND JUST SORT OF TAKE ADVANTAGE AND SOAK IN EVERYTHING THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER.