Champ reflects on record run, citizenship

Champions are motivated by many factors that each find and use to drive them to the top of their sport. Iditarod mushers are no different.

Following Martin Buser's amazing performance in the 2002 Iditarod, the fastest musher to Nome reflected on events in the past year that helped him succeed in attaining his fourth Iditarod championship.

After Buser's disappointing 24th-place finish last year, he said that he made some necessary adjustments and started refocusing on what it takes to win the Iditarod.

"Over the years I got a little diffused with too many other things," Buser said. "I was on too many boards and going to too many meetings and squeezing in the dog training."

Buser said he had felt comfortable because he kept everything in databases, with the computer telling him how far he needed to run the dogs.

Instead of using intuition and personal feeling with his dogs, Buser said he relied too heavily on the computers.

"When you train mechanically, the dogs will feel that," Buser said.

Buser said he refocused his training this year, to take the mechanics out of it.

"This year there were some days I didn't want to train so I didn't because I wasn't psyched up to do it," Buser said. "But we did more deliberate and targeted training and the dogs felt that it was with purpose and destination -- that's why they were able to do the things we were doing in the race."

Buser said they trained with cohesion and team-building, which created a connection between driver and dog.

Buser contends that mushing and caring for the dogs is not a part-time job, but a year-long commitment that takes a love and dedication to the animals.

"This is not a two-week event in March," Buser said. "It is a 365-day commitment yearround that takes every waking moment and every penny you have."

Buser said most mushers would love nothing better than being with their dogs. He said he would discourage anyone who doesn't have that commitment from becoming a musher.

"My good day is not going out of my driveway," Buser said. "It is when I go out the back way with my dogs."

In addition to his great success this year in winning the Iditarod, Buser celebrated the event by becoming a naturalized citizen Wednesday under the Burled Arch, which symbolizes the finish line.

A native of Switzerland, Buser came to Alaska in 1979 to enhance his knowledge of dog care and training. He ran his first Iditarod in 1980. He said that he decided to become a United States citizen upon seeing the tragic events of Sept. 11.

"I knew that it would be war," Buser said. "I wanted to be here and stand my ground."

Buser fulfilled the necessary requirements and began the proceedings immediately.

"[The race] has been a patriotic theme for us because we were able to set up the celebration to become a citizen in Nome," Buser said.

A fitting scene took place as the ceremony was winding down as musher Al Hardman came through the finish line to complete his race, parting the crowd of onlookers under the finish line to witness the ceremony.