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Continued from page 13 medical career, I watched a teenager die from cancer,” he recalls. “That inspired me to run in the Terry Fox, eventu- ally the Port Perry half-marathon.” Now 47, Mike targets completion of ten marathons before returning to more recreational distances. He’s philosophical about the demands of his training pro- ram. “always say that it would be best for your body to train for a marathon, then be sick the day-of!” Mike brings the same tenacious dedication to his medical pursuits. “J especially enjoy treating multiple members of the same family,” he says of his practice. “You make a real connection with people, sharing the joy of births and grieving with them when deaths occur.” Early in life, Mike easily identified his eventual 16 FOCUS - JUNE 2010 vocation. “By ten years old, I knew I wanted to follow medicine,” he remembers. “I had a number of relatives in that field, and grew up enjoying sciences in school. So it was a natural progression, and J couldn’t be happier with the outcome.” Toronto born and educated, Port Perry may have be- gun as only a dot on Mike's provincial map. But a short posting, as part of his two-year internship, convinced Mike and his wife, Janice, that it was a perfect fit. “My placement here lasted only a month, but Janice and I quickly felt the warmth of the town. It allo us to stay close to Toronto — we have family there a and Leafs’ season tickets — but also enjoy a community with that ‘personal’ touch. Just what we wanted, socially and professionally. So when Dr. Cohoon and Dr. Allin of- fered me a position, I jumped at it.” Port Perry’s small-town atmosphere, removed from the challenges of big-city life, also suited the couple’s future plans. Janice and Mike began dating in their final year of high school, when they were both swimming instructors with the City of Scarborough. Marriage would wait until Mike completed his medical studies. Janice’s own career would take a lengthy, but voluntary, “detour.” “She made a big com- mitment to our family -and my career - when she took a hiatus from teaching to raise our kids,” Mike says. “Three years ago, she decided to go back to supply teach- “Janice made a big committment to our family and my career, taking a hiatus from teaching to raise our kids..” ing.” Dr. Mi Now 20 years old, ~ Pe Mike Gitmour elder son Ryan sits midway through his second year at Waterloo with an eye towards his own medical career. Like his 18 year old sister, Kirstie, Ryan is studying kinesiology, hinting his future may lie in optometry. Kirstie, on the other hand, hopes to put her undergraduate degree from St. Francis Xavier University to a different end, pursuing a career as a teacher. Youngest son, Mack, according to Dad, hasn’t yet chosen his calling, but as a Grade 10 student, there’s still lots of time to experience and decide. The entire family shares in an active lifestyle. “We've had a cottage since the kids were young where we water ski and wakeboards,” he says. “We snow ski. Those activities helped us to really ‘get away’ together as a family.” Mike's practice has offered him satisfying profes- sional scope over its 20 years. “The Clinic had only eight doctors when I arrived, so working here has allowed me to practice the full spectrum of medicine. I’ve always enjoyed challenges, and I find my work intellectually stimulating.” Mike witnessed, first-hand, what might arguably be Port Perry’s most dramatic medical event. When a local bank was robbed 15 years ago, and a police officer and