When her sister recommended that we interview Maria Chansky for this column, she told us: “Maria is a Superwoman in every sense of the word—strong, healthy, caring, intelligent, and committed to making the world a better place.” It turns out she wasn’t exaggerating.
A family physician in rural Colorado, Maria has spent time working with Maori patients in a New Zealand clinic and with underserved communities on the Navajo Nation. She’s volunteered in post-Katrina New Orleans and established a free clinic at her local soup kitchen. To top it off, this social justice warrior has recently both scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro and completed a master’s degree in medical anthropology.
Somehow, Maria manages to integrate everyday fitness and more challenging activities—including triathlons, backpacking in the Grand Canyon, and biking the 100-mile White Rim trail in Moab—into a life of ten-hour work days and volunteering.
“It can be difficult to work all day and then find the time and energy to exercise all night,” she says. In part, it requires knowing yourself. “I’m not much of a morning person, so it’s difficult for me to exercise in the morning.” So she’s developed an after-work regimen that combines fitness and family: “I’ll walk about 4 miles or bike 15 miles depending on how much time I have. On the weekends I try to do longer adventures, such as backpacking and taking longer mountain bike rides… My husband is very fit and active, so exercising together is a good way to motivate each other and also to spend quality time together.”
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