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.
• Troutman’s journey
Troutman, who was a veterinarian in Rock Hill, S.C., 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.
• 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 American Mission Board. “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.
NAMB changed their focus in the area to church planting, but Crim remained in the area and began a ministry called Alaska Missions, 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. After his 19th race about three years ago, Kathy encouraged him to go for number 20 this year.
While he knows 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.”
— Lonnie Wilkey is the retired editor of the Tennessee Baptist and Reflector.