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Famous dog musher and dog sled racer Lance Mackey recently passed away at the age of 52. Officials for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race paid tribute to Mackey on social media by posting pictures of him. The caption read,
“We at Iditarod Nation are mourning the loss of 4-time Iditarod Champion, Lance Mackey. Lance passed away late in the evening of September 7, 2022 after a 20+ year battle with cancer.”
They also wrote,
“Lance embodied the Spirit of the Race, the tenacity of an Alaskan musher, displayed the ultimate show of perseverance and was loved by his fans. Our condolences go out to his family, friends, fans and the mushing community.”
Lance Mackey’s cause of death explored
Through a Facebook post in August, Lance Mackey revealed that he had throat cancer. In the post, he wrote that the past few months were hard for him since he was receiving treatment at a hospital.
Mackey was diagnosed with the disease in 2001 but continued to work and participated in the Iditarod race in 2002. However, he could not finish it, and due to health complications, he had to take a break for an entire year for a full recovery.
He was also suffering from Raynaud’s syndrome, which was a result of a cold. The problem led to severe pain in his finger, and he had to amputate his left index finger.
Lance also had addiction problems, and when he tested positive for methamphetamine at the 2020 Iditarod, he joined a rehab. He has always been open about his addiction to alcohol and cocaine.
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Lance became a familiar name in all these years for being a flawless dog sled racer. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise:
Lance Mackey’s journey as a dog sled racer
Lance Mackey made his debut as a sled dog musher in the 2001 Iditarod, where he finished 36th. He became the first person to win the Yukon Quest and Iditarod in 2007 and emerged as the winner of the Tustumena 200 in 2008.
He won the Iditarod again in 2009 and finished second in the Yukon Quest in 2010. He failed to be among the top 10 Iditarod finishers despite trying it five times. His 21st place finish at the 2020 Iditarod was vacated after he failed a drug test in May 2020.
He was the owner of the Comeback Kennel near Fairbanks, Alaska. Although it was home to 60 dogs, the kennel was criticized for using CBS treatment on dogs.
Lance used to race as a kid, and his mother finished fourth in the Women’s North American Championships when she was seven months pregnant. Later, his parents split, and Lance started living with his mother. He was often arrested on different charges while he was still young.
He was then sent to live with his father at Coldfoot Truck Stop. He was the son of famous dog musher Dick Mackey and his half-brother Rick Mackey was the winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1983.
Lance is survived by his children, Atigun and Lozen.
