HUMAN

Name: Robert Camelli

Age: 70

Residence: Eagle River, Alaska

Occupation: Project manager for the construction group Colaska

Years involved with Iditarod: 13 years

Iditarod Roles: I support the river crew in hauling the straw, and the dog food, and getting the whole checkpoint set up.

Current Location: Skwentna, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 6, 2022

Temperature: 34 F Outdoors 

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

I first became involved with the Iditarod because of Rob and Cindy Fritz, who are no longer with us anymore, but they had run this checkpoint. Rob was the official checker here for 22 years. My wife and I went to the same church as they did and that’s how we got involved. Now, their son, Kegan Fritz, is very heavily involved in getting this checkpoint set up and we’re good friends with Kegan. We continue on the tradition.

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

I am here today and involved with the Iditarod, because we’ve been doing it for quite a long time now. My wife is involved and my daughter would’ve normally been here, except that she was a non-vaxxer, so she wasn’t allowed to come. It’s been a family event for me, but also the camaraderie of all the guys that come up from Seattle, Tacoma area and to be able to serve and support the mushers has just been a highlight of all of our lives. I just happen to know some of the mushers personally. It’s just been great fun, both for the entire family, as well as being able to come out and work and serve the musher organization.

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

One of my most memorable Iditarod experience is, when the drop dog that we had, we were taking it out to the airport here at Skwentna. It had gotten away from us and was running down the river. It was quite an event to get that dog captured again and back onto the sled and into the airplane.

What do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is that, if you want to get the… If you want to be involved and get something done, you have to get involved and actually make something happen. Usually, when you do something like that, there’s always a good outturn, regardless of what the event is that you’re trying to participate in.