Being a rehabilitation physician, I've committed myself to the promotion of health and fitness not only to my patients, but to the community at large as well. My training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation allows me to help deconditioned patients optimize their functional independence. Being a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, my experience also includes work as a personal trainer, a senior citizen fitness educator, and a volunteer trainer for Special Olympics track athletes. Radio listeners may even remember me as "Doctor Venus," as I frequently shared my knowledge of sports injuries and rehabilitation on "Damn...Another Sportz Show!?!" - a Los Angeles radio show which featured all-female correspondents. The promotion of health and fitness is an issue of personal significance for me. Several years ago, I recommitted myself to leading a physically active lifestyle after my mother suffered a stroke and my father collapsed due to heart disease. Now we all enjoy the positive effect exercise has had on our lives. So I firmly believe that you should "practice what you preach." While I may advise patients and clients on the benefits of physical fitness, I myself regularly train for fitness competitions. I have held the titles of Ms. Bikini California, Ms. Collegiate USA, and Miss Teen of Missouri, but I'm one pageant titleholder that is not afraid to sweat. I've competed in more than 60 local and national-level fitness/figure competitions over the past ten years. No matter how busy I may get, I always make time for training. In fact, when I was featured on FOX's "Temptation Island," I woke up early every morning to run sprints and jump hurdles on the beach -- usually all before taping began for the day.

I'm one of those who knew from a very young age that I wanted to become a doctor. I fell down on the playground in preschool...the school nurse slapped a Bandaid on my knee...and "bang" I decided to be a doctor! OK, maybe I was too young to actually remember the specifics now, but it probably happened something like that. While following the path toward a medical degree, I discovered that life had so many other things to offer as well. I found great joy in pursuing many different hobbies and interests. Singing, dancing, modeling, training for fitness contests, wakeboarding (or attempting to wakeboard, I should say - hee hee!), news broadcasting, oil painting, and even knitting/crocheting -- I've enjoyed them all. Live life to its fullest, I say! Given my different activities and pursuits, some have asked me if I'd ever consider moving on to a different career. Right now, I can't imagine not practicing medicine. It's something I worked hard to achieve and I'm quite happy doing what I do. That's not to say that I won't make time to supplement my career with other interests that further enrich my life. I've realized that my outside interests can also enhance my ability to promote health and fitness...a goal that I've made it my career to pursue. Competing in fitness contests has been an extremely rewarding way for me to do just that. Even TV/radio broadcasting and swimsuit modeling have served as avenues for me to promote a healthy and fit lifestyle. Stay Fit and Be Happy!