Keep your eyes peeled during the Olympics — you might spy Stanford's Eugene Roh, MD, in one of the ice rinks. Roh, a sports medicine specialist, was selected as a Team USA physician and he'll be on hand near the ice, and wherever he's needed.
As you can imagine, he's rather excited. "Being part of Team USA is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a dream come true. It's a chance to work with the best medical team in sports medicine, as well as the best athletes in the world," Roh explained in a recent Stanford Medicine Q&A.
In fact, his interest in sports medicine stems from his trip to the Olympic Games in 1988 with his middle school class. "It was such a pivotal memory in my life," Roh said.
Now, Roh is returning to his native South Korea with his wife and son as a official doctor at Team USA, ready to care for top athletes. Obviously, he's a fan:
Their discipline and passion about what they like to do is inspiring. It's not easy work. In those moments where we all feel settled in life, and get a little lazy, we look to the athletes who inspire us to catapult ourselves to the next level.
The Olympics, even a particularly chilly one, is on a level of its own. Best wishes, Dr. Roh — we're rooting for you.
Photo courtesy of Eugene Roh