Lance Mackey, an Alaska mushing champion whose scrappy spirit won him legions of fans, died Wednesday at age 52. His health had deteriorated in recent years, and he was diagnosed with throat cancer for a second time last year.
Lance Mackey pumps his fist as he heads down Front Street in Nome to claim victory in the 2009 Iditarod on March 19, 2009.
The disease caused him to take sometimes extraordinary measures to stay reasonably limber during days of handling booties, hooking dogs into lines and grinding out assorted kennel chores in the cold, including super heavy beaver mitts, hand warmers — even amputation. Owing to intense pain in his extremities, Mackey voluntarily had a finger removed.after testing positive for methamphetamine.
He called the past several months the hardest and worst part, saying he had been hospitalized with 24-hour care. . “I Fully believe it is not my time yet and I’m still doing pretty good but I’m going to have a lot of things to get done in my life.”Helen Hegener, an author and documentary filmmaker who specializes in distance mushing stories, called Mackey a “dear friend” who was hard to lose.