HUMAN

Name: Susan Drapek

Age: 62

Residence: Eaton Rapids, Michigan

Occupation: Veterinarian

Years involved with Iditarod: 3

Iditarod Roles: Veterinarian

Current Location: McGrath, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 8, 2022

Temperature: 30 F Outdoors 

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

I got involved with Iditarod because I was reading on it since I was in high school and always wanted to get involved, but couldn’t figure out how to volunteer as a vet until I ran into Kim, a vet that’s been coming here for years, at an acupuncture conference in Nova Scotia. And she finally told me how to do this.

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

I am here today and involved with the Iditarod because I love doing something that’s adventurous, that hardly anybody gets to do. I love working with the dogs. I love seeing dogs actually having a job, and doing their job, and loving their job. And I just love seeing the people and the wilderness.

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

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was when we couldn’t get a plane out to Ophir, so I had to ride snow machine from McGrath to Ophir. And I had to bounce around in the sled being pulled by the snow machine, five hour trip, lot of fun.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is nothing lasts forever.