We take two or three race medics to support the Manaslu Trail Race. Here’s a message from Ryan Himmelsbach from USA who will be joining us!
My name is Ryan Himmelsbach. I am originally from Pennsylvania, and am currently a third year emergency medicine resident physician from the Northshore/Long Island Jewish Emergency Medicine program at Zucker School of Medicine in New York. I graduated medical school from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2017. I have always loved the outdoors, and wilderness medicine is a particular interest of mine within the scope of emergency medicine. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I used to go hiking, fishing, and camping with my father whenever I had the chance. As I got older, I began to travel more, and planned hiking and camping trips near and far, including Central America, Patagonia, East Asia, Alaska, and Australia/New Zealand. I have always wanted to visit the Himalayas, and am very excited about this year’s Manaslu Mountain Trail Race.
I first heard about the race from Dr. Yogesh Subedi, who was the expedition doctor for a previous race. I attended a wilderness medicine lecture from Dr. Subedi regarding the details of the race and his involvement as the expedition doctor, and was fascinated by the stories he shared. The route sounded like a trekker’s dream, and Dr. Subedi provided many stunning photographs to support that notion. Given my interest in wilderness and expedition medicine, I immediately began researching the race and contacting the race organizers to find out how to be a part of the following year’s race. Given my love of hiking, and my interest in wilderness medicine, this race represented the perfect opportunity for me to gain more exposure to the growing field of expedition medicine.
I have always been interested in visiting Nepal. It is a trekker’s paradise with some of the most beautiful mountain views in the world. Many of the world’s most iconic hiking trails can be found here. It is also a country steeped with history, evident in beautiful cities, such as Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan. Ancient monasteries and temples are also evidence of Nepal’s significant role in the history of Buddhism. I am very excited about the race, but am equally excited about experiencing Nepal’s culture, which is famous worldwide.
I am preparing for the race by climbing as many local peaks as possible, and running as if training for a marathon. Although Long Island is not exactly known for its altitude, I have been making trips to local mountain ranges, such as the Catskills and Adirondacks, as I prepare for the verticality of the Himalayas. I have a lot of experience running, and was an avid cross country and track and field athlete in high school. I have previously competed in marathons, and placed 2nd overall amongst all competitors in my first marathon. I am taking a similar training approach to this race as I did when I was preparing for long distance races in college and medical school.
I can’t wait to experience the beauty of Nepal, and the thrill of the Manaslu Mountain Trail Race. I am already counting down the days until race day. See you soon!
