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77 EW IN OTHER NEWS Vacationing by the seat of his pants T he wind in his hair and a first taste of freedom in motion—such was the exhilaration experienced by John A. Vukich, MD, Madison, Wis., as a youngster trek- king around on his bicycle. As an adult, Dr. Vukich has parlayed this early enthusiasm into something more, regularly going on cycling excursions instead of traditional vacations. In fact, he is among those select enthusiasts who can say he has cycled on all of the continents. He has also, while vacationing, cycled up impressive summits such as Mont Ventoux in France and even had the opportunity to test the Tour de France route prior to the start of the race. "The first time I did biking beyond just a means of transporta- tion, I was 16 and a friend of mine saw an advertisement for a 'century ride.' We rode 100 miles in one day, and I thought, 'Wow, not only is that good exercise but it's a great way to get out and travel routes that I wouldn't have otherwise and see a part of the area I had not seen before,'" he recalled. However, it was not until he finished his residency and began to practice as an ophthalmologist that he began to seriously consider cycling as a form of exercise. "I met like-minded friends who lived in the neighborhood, and we would get up early before work," Dr. Vukich said. "We'd ride in the sum- mertime from 5:30 until 6:30 in the morning to get a little exercise in." He enjoyed the fact that cycling was social as well, and he could converse while moving. He began to consider the idea of planning a vacation around the sport. Alternative trips "I was lucky enough that my wife also enjoyed it," Dr. Vukich said. The couple began looking into cycling as a vacation option. "We found a bicycle tour com- pany that would organize trips that sounded like fun, and we thought, 'Let's give this a try,'" he said. "Our first trip was in Napa." During the 4-day excursion they also rode to Sonoma, which Dr. Vukich said involved aggressive climbs. They were also down amid the vineyards where they could smell the grape must. "I realized that this is a very different way to experience wine country," he said. "I guess that's where we got hooked." by Maxine Lipner EyeWorld Senior Contributing Writer Dr. Vukich's transformative cycle Dr. Vukich has cycled on every continent; here he rides in New Zealand. Source (all): John A. Vukich, MD Dr. Vukich cycling in Maui, just one of the many scenic locations he has visited. August 2014 continued on page 78