By Daria Belov —
To the streets of New York City were a sea of colors this past Sunday, as some 40,000 runners crossed the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island, ran 26.2 miles through five NYC boroughs, and finished up their journey in Central Park. Among that sea of people moving through the streets, was a chiropractor promoting Oaklahaven chiropractic for kids.
(photo: Chiropractor Vincent Malba of Clifton New Jersey with his 2008 NYC Marathon medal)
For those that are not aware of it, the Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center began in response to the needs of chronically ill children in 1962, many of whom in the early 1960s were paralyzed, in braces and wheelchair-bound. The organization is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) which relies greatly on the generosity of private donations. Each year Oklahaven holds a annual fundraiser, to raise awareness and financial support, so that kids at the center can continue receiving much-needed chiropractic care. The Oklahaven Have-A-Heart Fundraiser 2009 is already underway. All chiropractors and chiropractic education facilities are urged to participate and show their support.
After having covered news related to the 2008 NYC Marathon we were tipped off to the involvement of one chiropractor who was extremely excited about participating and promoting chiropractic. Dr. Vincent Malba ran the 26.2 mile journey through all five boroughs of New York City, with a chiropractic shirt on his back. We contacted Dr. Malba to ask him what the event was like.
PC: Congratulations on running the 2008 New York City Marathon! Can you tell us Dr. Malba, when did you begin training for the event?
VM: What an honor it has been to run in the NYC Marathon and do help promote chiropractic and Oklahaven. I started training back in late February, so it’s been about 8 months. I logged 792 miles over that time (not including the race itself). It’s always been a dream of mine to run the NYC Marathon. The energy of the crowd and all the people who have supported me, including the energy of the children that have and will benefit from the services at Oklahaven carried me through the 26.2 mile journey through the five boroughs.
PC: Did you get adjusted in preparation for the marathon?
VM: I’ve been getting adjusted on a weekly basis for most of my adult life. Prior to training, during training, and post-training I’ve continued to get adjusted weekly, sometimes twice weekly. It’s amazing how the adjustments have allowed me to push me to my limits and allow me to recover more quickly. I couldn’t have done without them. Those adjustments included the lower extremities too, especially the feet.
PC: How did you balance training for a marathon with your office hours seeing patients?
VM: The balance of training and office hours was at times a juggling act. There were days where the only time I had to run was during my lunch break and someone would walk in just as I was about to leave. I, of course, adjusted them and just ran faster that day.
PC: Most of your patients probably figured out you were training for the NYC marathon, how did they respond to your efforts?
VM: The response from my patients was tremendous. They not only supported me but many of them actually started exercising programs. It’s one thing to tell a patient how important it is to exercise. It’s another thing to actually model it and show them that they can do anything they put their mind to. The training has helped ground me and make me realize that anything is possible.
PC: Not only did you run this marathon, but you supported chiropractic while doing so. Why did you feel it was important to promote Oklahaven?
VM: In looking for a charity to motivate me more, I wanted to give my energy to something I believed in and something that stood for helping children live a better life without drugs or surgery. Oklahaven was the perfect choice in that they have helped so many children live better lives through natural chiropractic care. I’ve noticed that as a result of my running for Oklahaven, my patients and friends are now becoming more aware of the importance of chiropractic care for children.
VM: This entire experience has made my so proud to be a chiropractor. I actually met another chiropractor from Connecticut while running the race. We connected because he saw “Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center” on my back. I hope this run raises awareness for chiropractic and can help save the lives of our nations children and improve their general health and well-being.
If you know a chiropractor that is preparing for an upcoming marathon, let us know. The little yellow envelope near the title of this article has a link to our press contact e-mail address. Congratulations Vincent Malba on a race well run!
planetc1.com-news @ 10:07 am | Article ID: 1225994869
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