ORLANDO, Fla. – Wednesday morning on Breakfast With Bridgett, an accomplished mountain climber and local oncologist shared his story.
Doctor Ashish Dalal’s accomplishments, even outside the office, are inspiring both peers and patients.
To name a few, Dr. Dalal has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Everest, along with hikes through some iconic glaciers. He says the experiences were filled with a variety of challenges, lessons and milestones.
He says the people, places and circumstances he encountered on his arduous journeys brought new insight into the wonders of human strength around the world.
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“When you go there, both Africa and Nepal, they’re amazing places. Tanzania, you get to see these people, they just want to help. You know, our guides, the sherpas, the support team was so humble, helpful and I learned the nature of being humble is so important. I try to bring that, also the sherpas in Nepal, they’re just amazing, they carry probably two to three times their body weight. I try to bring that humbleness, and then it helps me become more empathetic with my patients who are suffering from cancer,” he said.
“Also Nepal, when you hike through these mountains, you pass through these monasteries, Buddhist monasteries, and these praying stones. It is highly spiritual. I also got that aspect, the spiritual aspect from the Everest Base Camp.”
He also fondly recalls lighter moments, for instance, challenging himself to try to juggle in the harsh conditions and high elevation.
“I juggle, I like juggling and so when I went to Cho La Pass, which is 18,500 ft., there’s a video of this, I wanted to test my brain function, I wanted to know if I could juggle and I was able to do that. It was an immense feeling of achievement that I could do it,” he said.
This year, Dr. Dalal is planning a Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike and possibly Mt. Whitney if he’s selected in their lottery for spaces to go.
Hear more about his story and his top advice for preventing and lowering cancer risk, watch the full interview here!
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