In 2001 South Carolina Baptist layman and veterinarian Roger Troutman stepped out of his comfort zone and traveled to Alaska to serve as a volunteer trail veterinarian for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, commonly referred to as The Iditarod.
Twenty-five years later, he completed his 20th event for one of the most grueling sporting events in the United States. The Iditarod is an annual long-distance sled dog race that begins on the first Saturday in March near Anchorage, Alaska, and ends about two weeks later in Nome, nearly 1,000 miles away.
Troutman put it in perspective. “It would be like traveling from Atlanta to New York City,” he said.
A unique feature of the race is that the trail is over rugged terrain which has no roadway system. Supplies and those who work at the event have to be flown in for the event which lasts for about 15 days, Troutman said.
Jessie Holmes, who is originally from Alabama, won this year’s race.
Troutman’s journey
Troutman, who was a veterinarian in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and member of First Baptist Church there, learned about the details for applying to be a trail vet from a colleague and friend from Spartanburg. The Iditarod is not that well known in the South, Troutman acknowledged.
Troutman, now 72 years old, retired in 2013 after serving as a vet in Rock Hill for 35 years. He and his wife, Kathy, moved to Clemson in 2018 and are now members of Utica Baptist Church in Seneca, He continues to use his veterinary skills when called upon including other sled dog races.
His love for animals and a willingness to step “outside the box” motivated him to learn more about The Iditarod and take the steps to become a volunteer.
Troutman recalled his first event. “We don’t have a lot of snow in the South. To see all that snow, then be around the mushers (the sled drivers) and see how they care for their dogs was exciting.”
He soon learned the difference between cold weather in the South and cold weather in Alaska. In South Carolina, temperatures rarely hit single digits or below. In Alaska, below zero degrees are the norm. Troutman said the coldest temperature he experienced was minus 47 degrees.
“It was a culture shock,” he acknowledged. He noted that if he is out working with the dogs and is “mentally focused and physically busy, I don’t get cold. But if I’m just standing there, I freeze,” he said with a laugh.
After his second year at the race, he decided that if he was going to continue he needed better cold weather clothing, “I went to a store in Fairbanks that does custom heavy winter clothing and ordered a nice heavy parka. It certainly paid off,” he affirmed.
He also met other trail veterinarians who come from around the world to participate and he has developed some lasting friendships over the years. Because he had been to 20 races since 2001, he has been able to meet new people each year while also renewing friendships with other vets he worked with in years past.
On the trail
During the race, teams of four to seven veterinarians are located at each of the 23 checkpoints located throughout the race. Veterarians have to be available 24/7 at each checkpoint so they divide the work and times to rest and sleep, Troutman said.
Each race team is comprised of the musher and a maximum of 16 dogs to begin the event, he said. Some dogs are returned to Anchorage to go back to their home kennel due to minor injuries or minor illnesses or if they just get fatigued, he noted.
“It’s very important they not continue the race for both their physical comfort and general wellbeing if they aren’t 100% healthy. Teams have to finish with at least five dogs to be an official qualifier finisher, Troutman said, adding that most of the sled teams finish with around 10 or 11 dogs.
Troutman noted that most of the things the vets deal with are minor. “The dogs are relatively young (2 to 7 years old), in excellent physical condition and they know what to expect on the trail. It always amazes me how well the mushers take care of their dogs.”
Missions opportunity
Though The Iditarod is not a missions event, Troutman occasionally was able to be involved in gospel conversations and a missions opportunity did grow out of his participation in the race.
During one of his early trips he met Brenda Crim, who at the time, was a missionary affiliated with the North America Mission Board in Alaska. “She coordinated some of the volunteer work in Anchorage and Nome,” he noted.
They developed a relationship and over the years FBC Rock Hill sent missions teams to work with her in Kenai and Nome. In addition, Kathy traveled a couple of times to The Iditarod and worked with Crim’s volunteer teams while he was on the trail.
NAMB changed their focus in the area to church planting but Crim remained in the area and began a ministry called Alaska Missions (akmissions.com), Troutman said. “She is still very active in ministry and has been a huge asset to the indigenous people there,” he observed. “She has worked very hard to be a light for Christ and it’s made a huge difference.”
His experiences over the years have kept him returning to The Iditarod though he had to miss a few years due to other obligations. After participating in his 19th race about three years ago, his wife Kathy encouraged him to go for number 20 this year.
“I’ll see about going back yet wonder if I may be on the borderline of aging out. I think about it every year. It’s something different and a bit unique and it has opened some other doors for me,” he acknowledged.
While he knows that The Iditarod is not for everyone, Troutman encourages people “to get out of their so-called box and do things they might not think of doing otherwise.”
