|
R4WH National Team Rider
California
University of Michigan
One might say I'm a royal subject of the queen as I was born in the U.K.
However, I have lived in California most of my life. I started riding my
bike for fun in middle school, even though I crashed badly after deciding
to see if I could ride cross-handed.
I went to undergrad at the nerd
capital of the world (Caltech) where I had an unexpected bout with Hodgkin's Disease. This experience inspired me to pursue a medical
career. After graduation from Caltech, I worked for a year at a medical
device company and then entered the University of Michigan's MD/PhD
program.
At U of M, I was struck by the disparity between the healthcare
provided to patients at the university hospital as compared to the shanty
towns I saw in my parents' birth land of South Africa. I've learned that
healthcare access is a complicated issue, but I look forward to learning
more about how we can assuage health disparity both nationally and
internationally.
Last year, I had the fortune of joining R4WH for one
week as they biked from St. Louis to Cincinnati. I will never forget the
dumbfounded look of the riders when I showed up without a sleeping bag and
with a borrowed bike. It didn't help that I had just assembled the bike
at the airport and ridden it for the first time only a few hours prior.
Nevertheless, the team was incredibly supportive and I had a blast. I was
impressed by the team's camaraderie and the commitment to R4WH's
educational mission. It's not your average group that will ride 100 miles
and then coordinate as a team to deliver a healthcare access presentation
the same evening. I expect that RW4H 2008 will be equally meaningful and enjoyable.
|
