HUMAN

Name: Ly Cheneweth

Age: 20

Residence: Tennessee

Occupation: Student

Years involved with the Iditarod: This is my first Iditarod

Iditarod Role: One of the dog lot security members.

Current Location: Nome, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 15, 2022

Temperature: 6F Outdoors & 68F Indoors at Iditarod Headquarters

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

I got involved with the Iditarod through Mike Owens. He’s the Head Deacon at the SDA Church here in Nome. I’m part of the SDA Church in Tennessee. So he hooked up with our college, Southern Adventist University. So we’re here on a mission trip in Nome, and one of our different volunteer activities is to be here at the Iditarod.

What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?

I’m here today and involved with the Iditarod because I wanted to see the first place winner. I’ve never been to Alaska before. So this had to be a get up at 4:00, 5:00 AM experience. And you know what? That’s okay sometimes.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences.

So when Mike saw us this morning, he knew that we really wanted to meet one of the racers. So he let us go out of town because he was helping put the bibs on the mushers. So we went and put the bib… We didn’t put it on, but we were there to put it on Dallas. So we were out up there before he came into town. And we got to see the dogs and everything. And it was really cool.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is you got to start saying yes to opportunities. Even if you’re scared, even if it’s out of your comfort zone, you got to do it because it’ll be memorable. You may not like it, but at least you’ll know and you’ll make some of the best memories ever. It’ll be a really great time.