Are you living with passion for your life's work, or are you just going through the motions?

At the beginning of May I was fortunate enough to be able to take some time and travel to Chicago to attend the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physician's annual symposium. I have been very proud to be a member of this group of of chiropractic sports doctors for the past 5 years. It is always difficult to find time in a busy schedule to travel across the country and attend conferences such as this one, but I am so glad that I took the time to do so for this one!

I came home from this symposium feeling inspired and motivated to make a difference in my profession! Throughout the weekend I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best and brightest minds in the field of chiropractic sports medicine. What I loved was that not only were these doctors amazingly talented and at the forefront of the profession, but they were remarkably down to earth and approachable. They were eager to share the knowledge that they had acquired over their years of experience for the betterment of their profession.

At the awards luncheon Dr. Dale Buchberger delivered the keynote speach. He spoke about perseverence. He cited examples of notable people in history, such as Abraham Lincoln, who had failed over and over and over again, but through their perseverence they eventually triumphed and were able to change our world for the better. I wish that I had a copy of his speach so that on those days when it seems hard to keep at it I can look back to his words and gain the strength to persevere.

Dr. Spencer Baron was awarded the ACBSP's award for Sports Chiropractor of the Year. I can't think of a better person to be given this honor. Dr. Baron has been incredibly inspiring to me and to many others in this profession. He is always willing to help out another doctor, be they new or old, and he seems to give selflessly of himself at every opportunity.

Dr. Bill Moreau was awarded the ACBSP's Lifetime Achievement Award, despite the fact that he is only halfway through his career! This is a much deserved honor for him. Dr. Moreau is one of my mentors and I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to know him and work with him. He has done so much to further the profession of chiropractic sports medicine. One of the things that I admire most about Dr. Moreau is that he makes anyone who speaks to him feel that they too can accomplish great things.

As I said before, I came home from this symposium feeling inspired and motivated to make a difference in my profession. A great person once told me that rather than saying "each one teach one" we should instead think of the phrase "each one reach one". By following this guideline hopefully I can inspire others in my profession to reach their full potential and to do great things, just as the doctors that reached me have inspired and motivated me and passed the excitement and passion they feel for this profession on to me.

I guess that what I learned most of all from this weekend in Chicago is that we all need to find passion and excitement in what we do. This kind of passion for your profession generates an electricity of its own and can spark the same passion in those around you. We must strive to be the bright shining stars in our lives and help to light the fire in those around us. Without this... we're just going through the motions.

Winter Dew Tour 2009/2010

This past winter I have had the amazingly good fortune to have worked with some phenomenal medical professionals and some outstanding athletes. I have been working with the Winter Dew Tour managing Main Athlete Medical and Rehabilitation - basically, I have been taking care of any non-life threatening issues that may impede the performance of these athletes.

The Winter Dew Tour consists of a series of three stops where athletes compete in either snowboard or ski disciplines on Superpipe and Slopestyle venues. I am constantly amazed at the skill of these athletes as they sail and spin through the air and still manage to land on their feet! The athletes that compete in these events come from all over the United States, Canada, and the World! We worked with athletes from France, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Canada, and the US, many of whom will be representing their countries at the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. This year we had week long tour stops in three different locations. In December we were in Breckenridge, Colorado, in January we visited Ogden, Utah, and in February we invaded West Dover, Vermont. All three stops were stunning representations of the quality of winter resorts that this country has to offer.

The company that provides medical coverage for these events is WMI - Winning Medicine International. WMI contracts a variety of healthcare professionals, including medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, chiropractic physicians, nurses, physical therapists, massage therapists, EMTs, and athletic trainers, to provide full medical event coverage for sporting events such as the Dew Tour. As I mentioned before, I have been contracted to manage the operations of Main Athlete Medical and Rehabilitation for WMI. This job has proven to be a very challenging yet rewarding one. On a daily basis at our events I feel as though I am juggling about 10-20 balls while someone is throwing more at me at a rate of 4-5 per minute! But... the best thing is that I wouldn't have it any other way! I love the excitement and I love the fact that at the end of the day I can walk out of there knowing that I accomplished something! The other staff members that I work with are probably one of the most talented groups of professionals that I have ever had the good fortune of meeting. Each person brings something unique and valuable to the table, and together we are able to offer our athletes a safe environment in which they can be free to compete and push themselves to their physical limits knowing that we are there to help them reach their goals. I think that the most rewarding aspect of this job has been having athletes come find me after their competition, trophy in hand, to thank us and tell us that they couldn't have accomplished what they have without our help. This is ultimately why I am in the field that I am - to help people live the lives that they dream of living.

Now that the Winter Dew Tour has wrapped for this season I get to look forward with anticipation for the Summer Dew Tour! The Summer Dew Tour will consist of 5 stops around the United States spread out from June to October. The events for the Summer tour include Skateboard, BMX bike and Freestyle Motocross events and the venues include Park, Vert, and Dirt venues. Since their are more venues and more different disciplines, I can only imagine that the 10-20 balls that I was juggling in the winter will turn into 50+, but I wouldn't have it any other way! What is life if you are not challenging yourself to reach your full potential! I can't wait to see where this adventure will lead me!