PRESS RELEASE from The Robbins Agency
On Friday, March 16th, Iditarod musher, Scott Janssen, came upon fellow musher and friend, Jim Lanier. The 77-year-old musher (Lanier) had been separated from his sled and dog team, not able to move for almost five hours in temperatures as low as -60.
The stretch of land, approximately 15-miles long, adjacent the Bering Sea is termed the “Blow Hole” because of the intensity of wind gusts and turbulent, inclement weather patterns and lies between the Iditarod checkpoints of White Mountain and Safety, Alaska.
With little concern for his own safety, Scott worked tirelessly to try and get Jim and his team moving again. After more than two hours, Scott realized that Jim was not going to be able to complete the race on his own and made a decision to stay with him, ultimately having to scratch his dream of completing his last race to save fellow musher, Lanier.
Recently at Janssen Evergreen Memorial Chapel, 737 E St, Anchorage, Representative Matt Claman presented Janssen with a citation approved by the legislature during their last session.
About the Iditarod:
The Iditarod is a 1,000-mile dog sled race from Anchorage, in south-central Alaska, to the city of Nome on Alaska’s western Bering Sea coast. The race began in 1973 and takes on average from 8 to 15 days. Weather conditions can dip as low as 100 Below Zero with wind chill, along with white-out conditions, frost, wind, and even the lack of snow and mud conditions.
About Scott Janssen:
Scott Janssen, 56, the “Mushin Mortician”, was born and raised in Crookston, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1985 with a B.S. in mortuary science and moved to Alaska in June of that year to work as a mortician at Evergreen Memorial Chapel. He has been a mortician and funeral home owner for the last 32 years.
Scott began mushing in 2007 with Paul Gebhardt. Janssen finished 42nd in the 2011 Iditarod and 38th in the 2012 Iditarod. He and Debbie, his wife of 37 years, are the parents of two adult daughters, Angela and Chelsea, his godson, Jaikob, and his grandchildren, Avalyn and Liam.
Scott is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, the ICCFA, Kiwanis, Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Iditarod Finishers’ Club. He enjoys spending time with his family, mushing dogs, camping, hunting, fishing, skiing and riding harleys.
Contact:
Debbie Janssen
907-952-2367