PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Institute, on Pagonia Road. “I feel like the luckiest man alive. I absolutely love it here.”

A Wealth Of Experience

Dr. Marholin brings with him a wealth of experience in all aspects of family medicine. He has devoted his life to the health care profession, and his extensive training allows him to provide patients with cutting-edge medical care.

After graduating from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, he worked as a chiropractor from 1984 to 1990. While being a chiropractor was fulfilling, Dr. Marholin desired to expand his knowledge and expertise in the field of medicine. He attended Nova Southeastern University and earned a Doctor of Osteopathic (D.O.) degree. In the late 1990s, he became tional health, as well. It is all connected.”

In addition to his vast knowledge, one of Dr. Marholin’s most noticeable skills is his ability to listen to patients. This is critically important because it helps him accurately diagnose problems and forge strong, trusting doctor-patient relationships.

“I firmly believe that if you listen to patients carefully and closely, they will tell you what’s wrong with them. The first visit is always critical. I am meeting with them for the first time, and I want to find out who they are and figure

“The way I practice medicine correlates with the lifestyles people have here. The city is very proactive in pushing the message of health and wellness. When you look around, we have a progressive hospital, and the residents here are always using the bike trails and hiking paths. There is something special about this place. It just feels different.”

A True Humanitarian

Dr. Marholin has wasted little time in becoming a good steward of the com- fellowship-trained in clinical nutrition and last year, completed a fellowship in behavioral medicine at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

“I enjoy helping underprivileged people because it is the right thing to do,” he says.

“When it comes to my patients, I look at them as a whole person,” he says. “With my training in behavioral health, I specialize in caring for not only their physical needs but their mental and emo- out what form of treatment is best for them. I’m not interested in putting a Band-Aid on them and not fixing anything.” munity. He has displayed his big heart by providing free medical care to less fortunate patients who are underinsured or have no insurance. Some of the patients he helps are clients of New Beginnings, a faith-based organization that helps homeless men, women, and children recover from difficult situations and transition back into the workforce.

The focal point of his practice is preventive medicine, which allows him to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the risk of disease. That is another reason why he is so excited to be part of the Clermont community.

Linda Smith, who founded New Beginnings with her husband, Steve, said Dr. Marholin is a godsend to the community.

“The moment I met Dr. Marholin, he asked me how he could help meet the health care needs of this community,” says Smith, who also serves as president of the South Lake Hospital District board of trustees. “In the first few months, he worked tirelessly to assemble a network of health care practitioners who would treat underprivileged patients at their practice. This is very important because it would help relieve overcrowding of emergency rooms. I am very impressed by Dr. Marholin’s enthusiasm and his desire to help. I feel blessed that someone like him has come into our community.”

Undoubtedly, a doctor who is caring, sincere, passionate, experienced, and highly educated is indeed a true gem.

Marholin Medical Institute is located at 17307 Pagonia Road, Clermont, FL 34711. To learn how you can begin your journey to health and wellness, please call 352.989.5901.

Local hikers get ready for Florida’s longest-running annual hike around Lake Okeechobee.

WRITER + PHOTOGRAPHER: SANDRA FRIEND

Hikers fi nishing up a morning hike between Lakeport and Moore Haven.

By 10a.m. it’s getting hot atop the Herbert Hoover Dike, one of South Florida’s highest points. At 35 feet above the deep blue of Lake Okeechobee, we can see water to the horizon. We are a good six miles into today’s segment of the Big O Hike when Paul Cummings leans over to look at a rock left on the paved trail. He pulls out his billfold, extracts a dollar, and sets the rock on top of it.

“Let’s see if anyone picks this up,” he says.

The hike started at daybreak when a slight glow of pink and purple peeped over the tall cypress and cabbage palms defining the Okeechobee Ridge to the east. The original shoreline of Lake Okeechobee is a tangle of tropical hammock where moon vine, which blooms only in the dark, begins to close up as those first rays of sunshine rise over the ridge, reflect on the Rim Canal, and silhouette the hikers behind us. We might have 70 people in the group today, a Saturday. It varies day to day.

A backyard adventure

Nine days, 109 miles.

That’s what it takes to walk at a relaxed pace around Lake Okeechobee, the second largest lake entirely within the United States. It may take a little less if you are young and strong and have trail-toughened feet or a little longer if walking more than 12 miles a day is too tough. In 1991, Hank and Irma McCall came to a Florida Trail Association meeting in West Palm Beach and talked about their walk around the lake to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Their adventure inspired Gordon Johnson, who now lives in Oxford, to organize the first ever group hike around Lake Okeechobee in 1992.

“For those of us who have

Caribbean bazaar on the waterfront,” a group of 20 started their journey from Torrey Island back to Pahokee along the Herbert Hoover Dike, beginning the first steps in a tradition that would stretch decades into the future and establish it as Florida’s longest-running annual hike.

Intentionally, the hike was not planned as a backpacking trip. Although many people have backpacked around the lake, there are plenty of trailheads and access points to make day hiking the entire route feasible with a little logistical planning. Since the McCalls “didn’t have to carry heavy packs, I loved the idea of getting lots of walking in and carrying only a daypack, lunch, and binoculars,” says Gordon.

Keeping pace

at one time or another said, ‘Someday I would like to hike the Appalachian Trail,’ the Big O Hike has become our mountain to climb… that goal within the realm of possibility,” Gordon says.

Pitching an array of tents that “looked like a colorful

Some people use the Big O Hike as a proving ground to figure out what their bodies — especially their feet — can handle. In the early years, chunks of limestone studded the footpath and thick Brazilian pepper and melaleuca trees limited views. Now, with invasive species removed and pavement atop most of the dike, dramatic panoramas beckon to people whose normal exercise route is through their own neighborhoods. It’s a blistering situation for many, which is when the home remedies appear. Ex-runners swear by a slather of petroleum jelly across soles that are then sheathed in socks. Some hikers sport double layers of socks or knee-high pantyhose as an inner layer. Some walk in sandals; others in hiking boots or running shoes.

On the east side of Lake Okeechobee, trailheads come frequently, but few people take advantage of emergency pickup points along the way. Ongoing dike reconstruction by the Army Corps of Engineers has meant alterations to the route, the once-perfect circumambulation having divots taken out of it by fences, construction equipment, and “No Trespassing” signs. Even with these detours and obstacles, Big O hikers are not forced to walk next to high-speed traffic.

The hike’s flexible nineday schedule is also an advantage for participants.

“The beauty of this hike is you can join or leave at any time,” says Linda Benton, a Jacksonville resident who has shown up almost every year since 1994. “Some years I’ve only been able to stay for a day or two, while other years I’ve hiked all nine days.”

Gordon and Paul, both present for the first Big O Hike, have shepherded it through the years, coordinating a small army of volunteers on behalf of the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. Together, they hold the record for most nine-day walks around the entirety of Lake Okeechobee — 20 years in a row. Gordon’s advice: “Try. You don’t know what it’s like until you go there.”

Unexpected Florida

Hidden beyond the earthen wall that is the Herbert Hoover Dike, the “Big O” itself — Lake Okeechobee — can’t be seen from a road. All is revealed, however, when walking atop the dike where the panorama changes every day. Used for navigation, the

Rim Canal stretches a significant distance with locks enabling access to the lake for anglers and duck hunters. From Pahokee north toward Okeechobee, the lake looks like a vast inland sea forming the horizon line. On a clear day, a steady curl of smoke emerges from the sugar processing plant at Clewiston, more than 50 miles across the water.

The trail turns south near Okeechobee — the largest town along the lake and home of the biggest Kampgrounds of America in the United States. The KOA serves as the home base for part of the Big O Hike. Clusters of RV parks near the Rim Canal yield to cattle ranches that date back to Florida’s frontier days. The lake waters vanish and are replaced by a grassy prairie. It’s tough to believe this was once a bountiful commercial fishery through the 1950s before water levels were so tightly controlled. Sport fishing is now a mainstay for the region.

As the trail sweeps past Moore Haven, the Caloosahatchee River takes a sip out of Lake Okeechobee, flowing toward Fort Myers and the Gulf of Mexico. The view from the dike shifts to a vast sea of sugar cane fields with islands topped with royal palms, continuing through Clewiston, the heart of United States sugar industry, and back around through South Bay and Belle Glade to Pahokee. It’s a massive agricultural complex few Floridians ever see.

Near South Bay, the lake folds itself into little coves between a smattering of islands large and small. Once a frontier outpost, Ritta Island is no longer occupied, but Torrey Island remains the home of Slim’s Fish Camp, accessed by a one-of-a-kind piece of antique engineering — a handcranked swing bridge over the Rim Canal. Mount Dora resident Wayne McSwain, who grew up in Belle Glade, had the honor of opening the bridge once.

“I was 14 or 15 when Slim let me turn the rod to make the bridge pivot out of the way,” says Wayne, pointing it out as we walk past the structure. “It was fun for me, and I bet he got paid for it, too.”

Seriously social

Banners flapping in the persistent breeze call attention to Paul’s tent as the gathering spot for the daily happy hour. It’s one of many Big O Hike traditions passed down through the years, like the annual talent show, moonlight walks, and the familiar rumble of a VW bus in the wee hours of the morning carrying the transport team. Since participants walk at their own pace each day, some finish up in a couple hours, while others stretch out the stroll. Returning to the campground after the morning’s hike, there’s time for showers, laundry, a dip in the pool, and a bite to eat. Happy hour pulls everyone together in the late afternoon to swap stories, share snacks, and decide where dinner will be.

Burning a significant number of calories daily means eager discussions about food. It’s hard to stick up your nose at the best seafood for miles around at Lightsey’s or the uncommonly large Okee-burgers at Uncle Larry’s Rim Ditch Cafe.

With six days spent walking through Florida’s prime cattle country, slicing into steaks at the Happy Hour Tavern, the Brahma Bull, or the Speckled Perch isn’t just a treat — it’s what your body craves. Part of the “getting to know” your fellow hikers is in joining them for a meal, which, in turn, helps the local economy. The next morning, you might find yourself sharing the backseat of a car with someone completely new en route to the trailhead. Walking at your own pace means discovering who else walks that pace, too. Conversations can stretch for miles.

Tamara Jicha drove down from Paisley in 2007 for her first Big O Hike. With years of backpacking experience behind her, she found it a different way to connect with the outdoors. “I saw more wildlife on the Big O than any other section of the Florida Trail,” Tamara says. “The early-morning fog was awesome.” Getting to know fellow hikers was a big plus, too. “I visited with almost everyone at some time or another as we walked,” She adds. “Two years to retirement, and I want to do it again!”

Many people return year after year to the Big O Hike. A full-time RVer who has resided at Wekiva Falls and other local parks, Paul Guyon first showed up for the hike in 1996. “I look forward to it every year,” he says. “It’s one of the few times I actually get to hike with someone instead of by myself.”

Paul sums it up this way: “It is a family affair.” You walk away with a new set of friends, some of whom may be with you for life.

All in fun

At the evening meeting — held every night to work out the shuttle logistics for the next day and keep the group informed of any changes in the schedule — Gordon asks, “So what was today’s hike like?” He gets a variety of answers.

“I saw four alligators and three blue herons.”

“The duck hunters are back. We spotted them in the locks.”

“There were two caracaras along the side of the Rim Canal.”

“I saw a limerick…” says one hiker to peals of laughter. “You mean limpkin!” says another.

Bob Coveney of Salt Springs waves a dollar. “I found money on the trail!”

Paul laughs. “I knew you’d pick that up!”

FASTFACTS

WHAT: 22nd Annual Big O Hike

WHERE: Florida Trail, Lake Okeechobee

WHEN: Nov. 23–Dec. 1

FOR MORE INFO: www.floridahikes.com/bigohike

Open-heart surgery hasn’t stopped 63-year-old Doug Braun from completing marathons in 47 states. HL catches up with him as he aims to finish running in all 50.

Clermont resident Doug Braun is a man on the run.

He’s no fugitive. Instead, he has been trying to fulfill a goal that he set for himself in 2005 — run a 26.2-mile marathon in all 50 states.

That is a lofty goal at any age. But Doug was 55 when he aspired to achieve this feat, and now he is only three states short of completing his dream.

Doug will finally cross Nebraska off his list in September, New Mexico in November, and Hawaii, the final state, in December. Thanks to a promise he made in 2007, his wife and four children will be accompanying him to the Aloha State, where he will compete in the Honolulu Marathon.

“I told my family that I was saving Hawaii for last, and if I made it there, I would include them in the final trip,” says Doug, who turns 64 this month.

The road to success

Doug is president of Leesburg-based Besco Electric Supply Company. On his office wall hangs a map of the U.S. decorated with finisher’s medals that are pinned to the individual states where he earned them. He has raced from coast to coast and everywhere in-between — the Kentucky Derby Marathon in Louisville; the Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins; the Dunkin’ Donuts Cape Cod Marathon in Massachusetts, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego, Calif.

One can truly admire his accomplishments, especially since most people go a lifetime without competing in one marathon. Fact is these races are challenging for novices and elite athletes alike. Competitors must commit themselves to several months of strenuous training. Then, they must push themselves through 26.2 miles of exhaustion just so someone can place a medal around their neck.

So, why is someone his age so eager to test his physical limits?

Doug asks why not?

“Competing with runners who are sometimes half my age makes me feel young again. Age should not be a deterrent to exercise. When I see firsttime marathon runners starting to struggle toward the end, as I often have, I like to run alongside them and offer words of encouragement to help them finish. Even after running many marathons, I still get a feeling of euphoria and accomplishment every time I cross the finish line.”

His feats are even more impressive considering he took up racing at age 48 and was beaten down by his first marathon.

“I ran earlier in my life, but between ages 32 and 48 I was working full-time and raising four children, so my physical activity was almost nonexistent,” he says. “When I was 48, my children were on the cross-country team at Leesburg High School. I began running three miles with them several times a week.”

In 1998, Dr. Richard Bosshardt, a plastic surgeon in Tavares, asked Doug to run with him in the Disney Marathon. He reluctantly agreed.

“That first marathon was brutal. When I finished, I swore I would never do something like that again. Around mile 18, my legs felt like they were shutting down because my body was out of fuel. The next day my legs were shot. I had difficulty getting in and out of a chair and walking upstairs.”

However, Doug soon realized that the joy of finishing a marathon trumped the temporary pain and suffering he endured. During the next year, he competed in numerous shorter-distance races, and his passion for running was ignited. Exactly one year later, he was back competing in the Disney Marathon. “The second time around was much easier because I was better prepared and knew what to expect,” he says.

During the next six years, he found himself competing in marathons as far away as California and Alaska. By 2005, he had already competed in five states and began pursuing a goal of running a marathon in each of the 50 states.

Hitting a speed bump

Doug passionately pursued his goal, and by 2011, he had crossed the finish line in 41 states, despite knowing he had an enlarged heart stemming from a faulty aortic valve. For two years, he would periodically visit his cardiologist in Ormond Beach to monitor his condition. Doug never felt symptoms, but his heart had become so enlarged that surgery became inevitable. In October 2011, he underwent open-heart surgery to replace his aortic valve.

He found the first few weeks of post-surgery were more emotionally draining than physically draining. “You simply do not feel like yourself anymore. I was wondering if

Doug’s weekly exercise routine

• Runs four times weekly, usually at a distance of three to five miles.

• Bicycles twice a week on the West Orange Trail, typically riding between 10 to 20 miles.

• Swims 50 laps twice a week at the National Training Center or the Leesburg City Pool.

• Prepares for marathons by running 10 to 20 miles on weekends.

I could ever get back to the level I was at. It was very difficult at first.”

His cardiologist assured him he could resume running, and Doug slowly began his road to recovery. Several weeks after the surgery, he started taking slow one-mile walks daily and faithfully attended cardiac rehab for two months at Florida Hospital Waterman. Within three months he found himself completing light threemile jogs.

“After I got over the emotional impact that openheart surgery had on me, I became confident that I would compete in marathons again,” he says. “I had already completed 41 states, so I told myself I was going to complete the remaining nine states one way or another. I feel very fortunate that my recovery went very well, and I attribute that to being in excellent shape when I underwent surgery.

He has completed six marathons since the operation.

Across the USA

Doug trains at the National Training Center in Clermont. He also utilizes the area’s rolling hills as a training ground, which is extremely beneficial when he competes in events such as the Crater Lake Marathon in Oregon. During that race, Doug and other competitors started at an elevation of 7,000 feet and ascended to more than 8,000 feet.

“That was one of the most challenging marathons I’ve competed in,” he says. “Yet, it was also one of the most scenic because there was snow

And even running around your neighborhood is very achievable, as well. No goal is unreachable. The importance of exercise cannot be understated. If you have a heart problem like I did, the healthier you are the better you can recover and get on with your life.” on the mountains, and the temperature at those elevations was around 50 degrees, which is a dream for marathon runners.”

For Doug, seeing beautiful scenery during a 26.2-mile run has a different effect than seeing it from behind a windshield. That is part of the reason he never sets specific time goals.

“I don’t go out there to be a speed demon. As long as

I finish and I’m comfortable enough to enjoy a steak and beer afterward I’m happy.”

Competing in marathons also gives him and his wife, Donna, an opportunity to enjoy sightseeing. She has accompanied him on every trip. They’ve enjoyed historic places such as Churchill Downs, Mount Rushmore, and Glacier National Park.

“We always leave a few days ahead so we can visit these spectacular venues. We’ve seen parts of this country we would have otherwise never visited. To our surprise, some of the states that we did not think would be very interesting turned out to be very scenic.”

But Hawaii may be the most beautiful of them all — not necessarily because it is a tropical oasis, but rather because Doug will be able to officially say he has put his best foot forward in all 50 states.

“I love seeing my clients and athletes reach their fitness and performance goals. I will do everything within my knowledge and power to get you where you want to go and will be with you every step of the way.”