New Zealand Sabbatical

I had not realized what a local legend the pharmacist (chemist) owner is until a patient told me that he was on the 2006 New Zealand Olympic bobsled team. His business is the lone drugstore here in Darfield and fills 95% of the meds I prescribe. A visit to his place of work and I learned he had been the brakeman for the 4 man team but was moved to the third seat for strategic reasons just before competing in Turin, Italy. In the picture below you see me with Aaron who is holding a model bobsleigh, as they say here.

Another aspiring athlete is Lexie who is pictured with me in the medical centre.She has competed the last several years in the New Zealand “Coast to Coast Race”. This event is the Boston Marathon for the South Island. It combines the disciplines of running, biking and kayaking spanning from the western shore to the east. Lexie finished fourth in the 23-and-under 2 day competition and is already planning on competing again in 2025. Her descriptions of post-race soreness and stiffness reminded me of how I felt after my first several marathons 20+ years ago.