| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | The most memorable experience of my childhood was my first triathlon. I always thought that triathletes were so cool, and I wanted to be one. One day I got bored of doing high school track and field, so I switched over to the triathlon club. It just so happened that our biggest triathlon of the year was happening in two weeks. I only had two weeks to prepare to swim a mile, bike 25 miles and run 6 more miles after all that. I accepted the challenge. For two weeks I worked on my swimming and biking, hoping not to get last place. Finally, the day of the triathlon arrived. It was the hardest race I ever participated in, but I finished. I didn’t get last place! 3 hours of cardio wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it certainly was unforgettable. In any case, I was proud of myself and I’ve been doing triathlons ever since. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I’ve always closely identified with my maternal grandmother. She’s very wise, caring and tough. Having lived through very hard times in Poland after the second world war, she taught me to always keep family close, to never waste my food, and to spend money modestly. She also taught me the Polish language. My grandmother was and still is my mentor, and I have a lot of respect for her. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire people who go the extra mile for what they are passionate about. I also admire people who care for others. Doctors are a good example of people who exemplify both of these traits. Perhaps this is the reason why I am pursuing a career in medicine. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | On a vacation in Singapore a few years back, a friend and I went on a day trip to the botanical gardens. We got there at 3 pm. The gardens were massive, and we explored for the next 3 hours. We must’ve been distracted when the PA system informed everyone that the gardens were closing soon. Much to our surprise, at 7pm, we came back to the entrance and it was locked. We were both kind of scared. There were no night guards, no phones, no alarms. At least there were water fountains, and I knew that we’d be ok. Long story short, we spent that night in the rainforest section. At 8 am we were woken up by the sounds of new visitors. We got up and walked back to the entrance. The attendant was surprised to see us again. “Two trips to the gardens?” she asked, smiling. “That’s right,” I said with a grin. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would love to go on a joint trip to Japan and South Korea. A couple of friends have told me how great these cultures are. Both have an emphasis on family, hard work, and order. On top of that, I love the outdoors, and there are many parks and trails I would like to visit in these two countries. Let us also not forget that Sushi and Korean barbecue are probably the best inventions of mankind. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I think the most important thing to pass onto a child is the right perspective to life. Life is an adventure. There is so much to discover, and the pursuit of these discoveries is part of the fun in life. This perspective goes hand in hand with ambition. If I could pass on the right perspective and ambition to my child, I would be a happy father. |
