Iwan Schmid

 
Iwan, Sister and I are walking along his dog yard on a clear summer morning in the lower flats of Switzerland, in Wangen near Olten.
 
Like on every other day together we talk about dog racing and the breeding ideologies we share. On the way to breed our future dogs a large shadow overlaps this moment when Iwan tells me his life expectancy prognosticated by medical specialists. In 30 seconds, the world as we know, our plan together it is changed forever. Incurable diseases are very real, all too real, risks for everybody, for you and me. We acknowledge them and justify wile hear from others fate, the risk of death is something that we accept to play - as long as it stays outside of our own life. Yet no matter if we intellectually accept the facts, consequences are deeply real and lethal.

Emil Inauen
Iwan was best known to his peers in the cycling and mushing communities as a man of incredible motivation with strength to match. Being able to compete in Olympic Games, Tour de France or winning a road classic is one thing. Doing two month of dog training on snow less ground in an unreal country for dog racing but beating the worlds elite later in Alaska is another examples of Iwan diversity. Looking at his dog mushing resume speaks volumes for the ability and drive he had. That power, the quantum of energy and his endless passion never only reflects positives. Happy to see his best and except the others the real Iwan who affected me was the man who loved his dogs, and who cared deeply for and offered enthusiasm to everyone he met.

The last years I had the possibility to meet Iwan contained some of the most interesting moments of my mushing life. Being with him together meant thinking compromise less only for dog racing. Never acted by his real shadow we'd make dreams better, get going for new ideas, and tried see things even more different. His favourite saying was the phrase, emulated with a smile "Nei, alles usrede" (all excuses). As crazy the last weeks where and as more and more I understand the course of our friendship, now that Iwan has left us it has a more spiritual meaning.

Writing a tribute to a lost friend is unreal, eider if someone where a very close companion for lots of years or just a friend for two weeks. With him I'd laughed, dreamed, and shared. Iwan was the type of people you seldom meet, but never forget. Each person touched by him could tell several stories of moving moments. So I share with you a few moments of Iwan’s life.