Pedal power

In 1982, John Marino organized one of the longest endurance bike races in America. It started out at the Santa Monica pier in California and ended in front of the Empire State Building in New York City. It was called The Great American Bike Race. There were four participants that first year: Lon Halderman, John Howard, Michael Shermer and John Marino. Halderman won the race in 9d 20h 2m. Since then, the race has evolved into what is now known as the Race Across America. It is one of the most challenging races in the world. Over the years the race has grown in participants and several divisions.

Team Donate Life has played a big part in the Race Across America for a number of years now and has used its participation to raise funds for liver transplants, liver disease awareness and organ donation awareness. The other day I ran across an article in a local newspaper and I saw that two of my doctors (one of them has recently moved to the University of Utah Hospital) are riding for Team Donate Life. They are called the Liverators. Dr. Terry Box and Dr. Ray Thomason have both seen me in clinic over the past year. After reading a little about Team Donate Life and the Race Across America I was very humbled by Terry Box's story and filled with a sense of inspiration. I knew early on that Dr. Box had had his own liver transplant and for that very reason I felt comfortable in knowing that I had a doctor who had actually experienced his own tranplant. What I didn't know was some of Dr. Box's back story until I read this article. At the time I felt lucky to have a doctor who had been through this operation. It was, after all, as hands-on as you can get for being a transplant surgeon. That gave me much comfort when I had questions of my own.

The Race Across America begins in Oceanside, California on June 20 and ends in Annapolis, Maryland. about a week later.