Ironman of Stanford Women’s Cancer Center
Ironman of Stanford Women’s Cancer Center
Oliver Dorigo, MD, PhD, loves training. The associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology has trained in medicine, surgery, gene therapy, molecular biology, laboratory research and clinical trials management. And that’s just for his day job(s), directing Stanford’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology and the gynecologic oncology program at the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center.
In his spare time Dorigo’s training has included enough running, biking and swimming to compete in 19 Ironman distance triathlons, the most recent being the 2013 Ironman World Championship, held in Kona, Hawaii in October. (For those keeping score, “Ironman distance” means a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile run.)
Dorigo says the physical and psychological rigors of triathlon training have helped him professionally to overcome challenges and find solutions for success in difficult situations. And they are lessons he imparts to his patients. As he told me:
In every race, there is a moment when making another step forward seems almost impossible. However, with persistence and the right attitude, this step and all others necessary to reach the finish line will eventually happen. There’s just no giving up. And that’s exactly the attitude I convey to my cancer patients. Don’t give up; keep fighting! Otherwise, how does one ever know whether one could have reached the finish line?
Dorigo and his primary medical passion – ovarian cancer – are discussed in the latest edition (.pdf) of the Stanford Cancer Institute News.
By Michael Claeys
Michael Claeys is the senior communications manager for the Stanford Cancer Institute
Photo by Grayskullduggery
