Caitlin Clark is represented at the Iditarod sled dog race, and so is Iowa by a musher from Pella

Saturday at the ceremonial start of Alaska’s famed 1,000-mile Iditarod sled dog race across the state’s wilderness, a participant for the day wore an “Iowa 22” shirt/coat/cold-weather something to celebrate women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark.

That was Randy Naaktgeboren of Knoxville, Iowa, the father of Iditarod musher Deke Naaktgeboren. Randy was on his son’s back sled as they went 11 miles through Anchorage in what was basically a parade.

Deke, 34, is on his own starting Sunday when the race begins in Willow. Well, he will have up to 16 Alaskan huskies as traveling companions.

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Deke grew up in Pella, Iowa. He moved to Alaska in 2011 and drove a team of dogs in the Iditarod for the first time in 2020. This year is his fourth in the race.

He raises and trains his dogs. Here is the link to an Ottumwa Courier story about him.

And, here is link to Deke’s website.

In the summer, he works for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. He has his winters free to train his dogs.

Much thanks to Jay Christensen, who shot and supplied the photo. Check out his fantastic photography on his Instagram page, @JayChristensenPhoto.

Here’s Deke’s Facebook page, which has some of his own photos from Saturday’s event.

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