| Dr. Jean Rawling from Calgary Chosen to Carry Olympic Torch |
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Ottawa, Ontario (December 7, 2009) Dr. Jean Rawling will be one of twenty doctors from across Canada trading in her stethoscope and white coat for sneakers and mittens as she will carry the Olympic Torch on behalf of the Canadian Medical Association on December 14, 2009 in Cornwall, Ontario. Dr. Jean Rawling, a resident of Calgary, Alberta, has been selected based on her commitment to inspire and encourage those in her home community to embrace physical activity as part of their daily lives. As often as possible, Dr. Jean Rawling walks to work and runs to her son's daycare, choosing to use active transportation. She leads community-based seminars to help people plan for continued health--through activity and nutrition--in retirement. Dr. Rawling also participates in several community charity events annually, raising funds for her community food bank, the neonatal intensive care unit and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In 2003, she travelled to Nepal as a volunteer staff doctor for five months, working in a small, high-altitude hospital in Kunde. While there, she was primary caregiver for a small community of high-altitude dwellers and for trekkers en route to Mount Everest base camp. "Primary prevention through physical activity is a major message I try to convey to my patients. By taking part in the torch relay, I hope to lead by example. I'm honoured to take part," says Dr. Rawling. Chosen from among more than 450 doctors nominated by their colleagues, the CMA doctors contingent truly "walks the walk" when it comes to demonstrating the lifelong importance of physical fitness. The CMA sought the nominations from CMA members after receiving an invitation from Coca-Cola Ltd., one of the official Olympic Torch Relay sponsors. The CMA group of Olympic Torchbearers will be carrying the flame: |
