Abraham Moland, First Place Winner

Work. Learn. Explore. Exercise.

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” -Plato

A degree in exercise science can be a blessing and a curse. Your friends are always asking you questions about sore muscles and tweaked joints, you are constantly analyzing the gait of people you pass on the street, and every time you workout you can’t help but think what internal energy system you’re using to create ATP. On the plus side, my education has given me a unique perspective on the interdisciplinary nature of human movement and the role it plays in our lives, relationships, and well-being. I truly believe that exercise is medicine, the benefits of which can, and should be, readily available to everyone.

We are individuals shaped by our environments and our choices within them. Currently these built environments are driving 65% of the world’s population to the point where being overweight and obese kill more people than being underweight, including not only high, but now most middle income countries such as South Africa, Argentina, and China (WHO, 2012). The sudden influx of low-cost, high-sugar foods and decreased physical activity due to lack of access in urban settings is creating a surge in chronic disease risk factors in low-income countries where numerous health issues remain unresolved, such as infectious disease and under-nutrition. As the world’s communities become increasingly industrialized, the call for global physical activity promotion grows louder, a call I plan to answer.

These developing arenas create disconnect between a human being and their body. We are designed to move; yet are increasingly sedentary. Working in physical therapy clinics both in the U.S. and Ecuador I have seen the difference movement can make in countless individual’s lives. In 2010 I traveled to the chaotic streets of Nairobi, researching pedestrian safety and how safe street design tactics implemented in New York City could help shape the Nairobi Metro Vision 2030 into a healthy, physically active community. Through this experience I navigated the multi-disciplinary field of urban design and realized the importance that connecting people to each other, educational and technological resources, and other communities has in promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. I am convinced that identifying creative solutions to the social and behavioral patterns of unhealthy living through small-scale environmental design will set the stage for the sustainable development of a 21st century, filled with citizens taking their health into their own hands.

A Connect 123 internship would enable me to operate within a network of healthcare settings to where I can gain the insight and experience to work towards constructing a toolbox of physical activity promotion interventions that not only applies to my immediate internship surroundings, but also can be translated to other developing communities. I want to help push the world to focus on preventative healthcare rather than remedial sick care, and in doing so, give the people of the world’s nations the power of controlling their own health, and I hope Connect 123 can help me, help the world to work, learn, explore, and exercise.