Photo by Wes Kroninger
It’s not often that you can find a profession that also incorporates something you enjoy while off the clock, but Dr. Darrin Bright has managed to do just that.
While Bright, a New Albany resident, has completed 50-some marathons, he has built his career around treating others with a similar devotion to physical activity. At Max Sports Medicine, an affiliate of OhioHealth with six locations in central Ohio, his patients are fellow marathoners, cyclists and triathlon participants.
Bright’s own love for marathon running had its birth in a pact.
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On the day his daughter, Molly, was born, Bright’s father, Terry, had a heart attack. His dad survived, but the scare was a wake-up call for Bright and his older brother, Adam. They made a promise to each other that they would stay healthy, and beyond that, they would run the 2002 Columbus Marathon together.
“Ultimately, it was a very positive thing for both of us,” says Bright, 43.
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Bright’s love for athletics dates back to his school years. The youngest of three, with a sister, Andrea, and a brother, Adam, Bright attended Miami Valley School, graduating with 26 people. He ran cross country and track and played soccer, basketball, tennis and baseball.
Inspired by his brother, who completed a B.S./M.D. program for orthopedics, Bright completed a six-year B.S./M.D. program. Spending two years at the University of Akron and four at Northeast Ohio Medical University, he graduated in 1997.
Bright specialized in family medicine, and he performed a residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital and a fellowship at The Ohio State University in sports medicine. Through that, he joined a group of doctors at OSU. Eight years ago, the group started Max Sports Medicine, a practice that includes primary and sports-related care.
Bright says his role gives him the opportunity to get to know his patients over a long period of time.
“That’s something I really enjoy,” he says.
Bright’s experience with distance running helps him better relate to his patients. Since he’s dealt with injuries brought about by running, he has felt some of the pain his patients might experience. He knows how much time and effort goes into training for an event and can help his patients figure out whether an injury calls for time off.
“There are very few injuries now that we need to shut people down for,” he says.
He also knows many of his patients as members of his own community, and he often sees them while running. Many of his patients had at one time never really exercised. After they found that family health issues necessitated exercise, Bright talked them through the process. He’s had a chance to see their evolution over two or three years. Some have lost as much as 100 pounds.
Choosing not to exercise, he says, is almost as bad as choosing to smoke.
“We’ve just got to get people moving,” Bright says.
When Bright started moving himself, back when he and Adam were preparing for their first marathon, he found that setting a goal helped. He ran in high school while playing soccer, but he didn’t run during his college years.
“We had the date on the calendar, and it was getting closer and closer,” he says.
Socialization was also beneficial. Bright joined Marathoners in Training (MIT), a training group he heard about from a patient; he still runs with the group today and even sees some members at holiday parties. Aside from making sure to exercise with a group, Bright recommends running at a comfortable pace. If you can’t talk to someone next to you, he says, you’re running too fast.
Patience is also important, and runners must remember to increase their endurance gradually over weeks. Bright usually runs six days per week. MIT’s program for a marathon is 20 weeks. The half marathon program is 12-14 weeks.
While Bright has tried his hand at triathlons, he ultimately decided to stick with running. The longest race he has completed was 100 miles. He also did the Ironman in Florida and the Boston Marathon.
Two years ago, Bright completed a run with his daughter, Lexi, his wife, Gwen, and Gwen’s stepmother. The trio participated in a Disney Princess Half Marathon. In honor of the event, Gwen wore a tutu, while Lexi dressed up as Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Disney characters were everywhere on the course, he remembers, and they continually stopped to take pictures. There were 17,000 participants in that race, and most were women.
While Bright travels for some of his races, he values the importance of health and wellness in his community. Bright and his family fell in love with New Albany when visiting good friends in the area. In addition to the area’s focus on fitness, they also liked that the city was family-friendly. The Bright family – Darrin, Gwen, 16-year-old Lexi and 13-year-old Molly – have called New Albany home for six years now.
Though he values the attention New Albany pays to exercise, his passion for running has also led Bright to become involved in Columbus fitness events. He has served as medical director for the Capital City Half Marathon for 10 years and the Columbus Marathon for seven years. As medical director, Bright works with the Columbus Division of Fire, American Red Cross, Columbus Police Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security to make sure safety is enforced and resources are adequate. He also recruits medical volunteers; there are usually more than 100 at each race. He also enjoys seeing people he knows cross the finish line.
“It’s my way of giving back to the community,” Bright says.
Sarah Sole is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com
