HUMAN

Name: Siri Raitto-Rochowiak

Age: 28

Residence: Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Occupation: Freelance photographer

Years involved with Iditarod: 20 years or so

Iditarod role: Official Iditarod photographers to fill Jeff’s shoes

Current Location: Unalakleet, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 16, 2020

Temperature: 28F/Outdoors

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

So I got involved with the Iditarod at a pretty young age. I grew up sprint mushing with my family and everyone in my family was dog mushers. When my stepdad entered in my life, it was probably about 20 years ago, he was a long distance musher so we had a little bit of both in the household. He was an Iditarod and a Quest musher, Jack Berry. It was all kind of within the lifestyle at our house. And since then I’ve always been just surrounded by the authentic lifestyle of it and staying true to dog mushing.

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

So I am here today and involved with the Iditarod because I am one of three of the official photographers on the trail this year. We’re all new. I’m very proud to kind of share this sport with the world and document it in a true storytelling, genuine way. I grew up dog mushing and I’m very proud of the sport. I’m very proud of sharing that sport and … Yeah.

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

One of the most memorable Iditarod experiences was probably when I was growing up and I was just learning about the difference between long-distance mushing and sprint mushing. We started racing very young in my household. And when my stepfather came around and he had this long distance racing style, it was totally a different thing. And what’s always stuck with me and has been kind of a drive behind documenting and photographing and storytelling through photos is when I used to watch him get prepared for the race. And just even seeing all the drop bags at the house and what all that took to make happen, and just the logistics behind all of it was super interesting and so different than sprint mushing and the daily drive and activity from that. That’s been something that’s always kind of stuck in the back of my mind. And it’s fun just to see the background information.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is that right now I am in the right place.