Medical Society

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23 May 2012

I Wish to Run 2012

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Written and designed by: Tang Jun Han Photography by: Brendan Chin, Nathanael Foong, Keson Tay and Colin Ng

How to run an ultramarathon? Puff out your chest, put one foot in front of the other, and dont stop till you cross the finish line. - Dean Karnazes

I Wish to Run 2012 is a charity ultra-marathon organized by the National University of Singapore Medical Society, aimed to raise

funds for children with life threatening medical conditions under the wings of Make-A-Wish Foundation Singapore.

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Two medical students ran more than 100km each

Two medical students ran more than 100km each in an effort to fulfill the wishes of these children. It was exactly one year ago that the organizing committee started planning for this fundraising event. Tang Jun Han, 23 and Adriel Tay, 21, both second-year medical students, wanted to marry their love for running with an outreach to the community. With the help of 35 students from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, they put together a carnival to celebrate the contributions and effort of the donors and the runners. Said Mr. Tay, I see the importance of letting these children experience the feeling of having their wishes fulfilled, something that we may have taken for granted when we were children. On 22 May, the two runners, Mr. Tang and Thiaghu Chandra, 21, also a second-year medical student started their run in East Coast Park, Big Splash at 1pm.

A/Prof. Rajendran K, a highly respected professor who taught them when they were firstyears was also present to lend his support and to flag them off. Mr. Tang and Mr. Thiaghu were committed to go the distance to reach out to the children. Dolor Sit Amet

Despite the hot and dry weather, their relentless cadence took them through the afternoon. They had a simple dinner of fried rice at 730pm in Bedok Reservoir before they started making their way back to school.

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They kept going strong,

taking down the distance a mile at a time
experience for them both. They lay down on the ground and fell fast asleep almost immediately. Both of them caught a 10 minutes nap before they readied themselves for the last 23km on the NUS running track. At 830am on 23 May, the NUS track was buzzing with activities! A crowd of 150 students and professors from the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy, the doctors and staff from the National University Health System and

As they pushed into the night, traces of fatigue from the weather and the long hours can be seen on their faces. Even with the rain at night, instead of slowing down, they stepped up their pace. Meanwhile, the medical crew and support team were working overtime, tending to the runners at every rest point. They kept going strong, taking down the distance a mile at a time. At daybreak the next day, the duo finally entered the universitys compound. The 100km on the roads was a really humbling

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friends and families cheered the duo on as they ran the last 23km on the running track. Despite the light drizzle at the start, the festive mood and celebration were not dampened a single bit. The carnival saw bands playing live music. There were also food and beverage stalls including Starbucks, Milo, P.Osh brownies and Sogurt! A

stall selling sports merchandise was also set up. In addition, there were games, lucky draws and competitions such as the photobooth, sumo wrestling and the dunking machine. Our very sporty Guest-ofHonor, Vice-Dean for Education, A/Prof. Hooi Shing Chuan even agreed to be dunked in celebration of the

spirit of charity! At 1130am, Mr. Tang and Mr. Thiaghu crossed the finishing line, completing a distance of 123km across the country.

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Lorem Ipsum The day however, really belonged to the children and Make-A-Wish Foundation Singapore. As the event came to a closing, Ms. Debbie Seah said to the audience at the closing ceremony, We have nothing but praise and

Issue | Date appreciation for the students who have spearheaded this with lots of heart. The organizing committee was very proud to present S$26,000 to the foundation.

Tang Jun Han, 23

Running a long distance is a humbling experience. Every time I do, albeit painful and sometimes monotonous, I will be reminded of the privilege I have in being healthy and being able to run. I will be reminded of how patients feel; however pale in comparison fatigue from running might be. I have been blessed in my life and I want to do my part in giving back to the society. My interest in helping children first started when I had a teaching stint before I entered the university. The joy of seeing children smile inspires me to run the extra mile to reach out to them. I hope that by going the distance, I will be able to make the tomorrows of these children a little better. Giving does not have to wait until I graduate from medical school. I can start now.

Thiaghu Chandra, 21
Tang Jun Han approached me with the idea of a charity fund-raising event, which would involve us running a distance of 123km. This idea seemed difficult a first but as I continued to talk to Jun Han, I realized that he had a lot conviction and determination about the cause and running the distance. After some reflection, I came to the conclusion that if medical students were going to run for a cause, I should be involved and give it everything I have. Make-A-Wish Foundation deals with granting the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions. This is a different idea from other charities. I believe it is important for medical students to learn about such aspects of patient care other than the treatments and complications of a disease.

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All it takes
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is all youve got.

- Marc Davis

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