HUMAN

Name: Nancy Lundgren
Age: 70

Residence: Montana

Occupation:  Retired

Years involved with Iditarod: This is my 7th year

Iditarod role: Communications

Current Location: Ruby, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 13, 2020
Temperature: 35F/Outdoors

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

My first Iditarod was in 2013. I came to Alaska with a childhood friend to visit her brother who had been a teacher in the bush in Aniak and had just retired. We were going to watch him race, but he hurt his knee and he was looking for something for us to do on a Saturday. He said, “Let’s go see the Iditarod, a ceremonial start down in Anchorage, which we did. And the Diehl Family was there. Richie was racing. It was his rookie year. The brother had worked with the father and had Richie as a student, so they invited us over to the family house. Amazing afternoon. The stories. It was just delightful. It was awesome. We were hooked. And we followed Richie all the way through his rookie year, and he was amazing. And then I just I said, “I’ve got to come back,” and I kept coming back. Yeah, but because of the Diehl Family and watching Richie race his rookie. That was just awesome.

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

So I am here today and continue to be involved with the Iditarod mainly because of the energy of that first year, but also because I wanted to experience the whole mushing firsthand. The history, the cultural aspect of the dog sled races just captivated me. What the mushers and their dogs go through in this wild place of nature and their fortitude and determination. So that’s just a strong part of it. But also to experience the communities of today firsthand. I’m a retired educator, so I’m very interested in the whole community and the young kids especially.

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

One of my most memorable experiences – memorable, I don’t know if I want to remember it – was the time I was working comms up in Safety and a group of locals, business folks, active people in the community, came by and they, I guess, were looking at their traps. They had brought a fish that they had trapped and asked if they could skin it there at the bar. And the kid in charge said, “Sure.’ So next thing I knew, they were hanging the animal from the rafters and putting some tarp and things on the floor right behind me at the Comm Center with my computer. It must have been awesome. I actually stared out the window waiting for mushers to come.

What do you know for sure?:

Well, I worked with an exchange program for a lot of years and their motto was, “Expect the unexpected.” And I go with that and embrace the moment and be in the present for it.