HUMAN

Name: TERI PATON
Age: CLOSING IN ON 60
Residence: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Occupation: I’M A PART-TIME ACCOUNTANT FOR THE MEDALLION FOUNDATION
Years involved with Iditarod: I BELIEVE IT’S 20
Iditarod Role: MY ROLL… WELL, MY JOB TITLE THIS YEAR IS COMMERCIAL FLIGHT COORDINATION. SO I FACILITATE GATHERING THE TROOPS – THE TRAIL VOLUNTEERS – MANIFESTING THEM; AND THEN GETTING THEM TO THE COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS THAT TAKE THEM TO THE HUBS WHERE THEN THEY MOVE ON TO THEIR ASSIGNMENTS FURTHER DOWN INTO CHECKPOINTS.
Current Location: WILLOW ALASKA
Date of Photo: FEBRUARY 16, 2019
Temperature: 8F / OUTDOORS

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

WELL, I’M HERE IN WILLOW TODAY TO HELP WITH THE LOAD OUT, THE PRE-RACE LOAD OUT, WHERE WE SUPPLY THE FIRST FOUR CHECKPOINTS. AND I LOVE THIS KIND OF WORK. I GUESS THAT’S MY “WHY”. WE’RE OUTSIDE WHERE IT’S SATISFYING, LIKE, MOWING A LAWN. YOU KNOW, WE’RE MAKING PILES OF SUPPLIES. WE’RE TRACKING THEM. WE FLIGHT-FOLLOW THE PLANES, YOU KNOW; LOAD THE PLANES, CHECK THEIR WEIGHT AND BALANCE; FOLLOW THEM IN THE AIR. IT’S A REAL TEAM EFFORT. AND WHEN MOTHER NATURE COOPERATES, WHICH ISN’T HAPPENING TODAY, WE GET MOST OF IT DONE IN ONE DAY. AND IT’S JUST A REALLY FULFILLING, SATISFYING GROUP THING TO PARTICIPATE IN.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

WELL, I’VE LOVED ALL THE YEARS I VOLUNTEERED, BUT PROBABLY THE ONE THAT STANDS OUT IN MY MIND WAS — AND I CAN’T RECALL THE YEAR – BUT IT WAS YEARS AGO. SUSAN BUTCHER WAS TRAVELING ON THE TRAIL. I WAS STILL A COOK IN THE MCGRATH KITCHEN. SHE CAME IN MID-AFTERNOON – I THINK SHE WAS SNOWMACHINING – SHE WAS STARVING. HAD A PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY ENGLISH MUFFIN, WHICH IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS. AND WE WERE CHATTIN’ ABOUT HER CHILDREN AND THE RACE – ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING A MOTHER. BUT IT WAS SUCH A PRIVATE MOMENT WITH A CELEBRITY OF THE RACE. AND NONE OF THAT EVEN ENTERED INTO IT. WE WERE TWO MOMS JUST KIND OF SHARING A MID-AFTERNOON TALK OVER AN ENGLISH MUFFIN.

What do you know for sure?

I’D SAY WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT YOU NEED TO KEEP LIVIN’ YOUR LIFE. AND YOU NEED TO DO IT EVERYDAY BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN IT’S GOING TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. AND WHEN YOU’RE A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE DOING SOMETHING, THAT OFTEN CAN BE A GOOD TIME. WE GET SO SET IN OUR WAYS AND I THINK TO FULLY EXPERIENCE YOUR LIFE, WHICH YOU NEVER KNOW HOW LONG – HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE, UM, YOU NEED TO GO FOR IT.