The Athletic Dentists

WA’S DENTISTS ARE WELL KNOWN FOR BEING TALENTED, CREATIVE AND – AS WE’VE NOW DISCOVERED – ATHLETIC!

Clinical Associate Professor Dieter Gebauer

WATER POLO

When he’s not at the surgery, you’ll most likely find oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dieter Gebauer at the pool. “I’ve been swimming since a young age and I was a good competitive swimmer, winning the Rottnest Channel Swim at the age of 14,” he recalls. “Then I got sick and overtrained but I was encouraged to keep exercising so I started playing water polo.” Dieter quickly developed a talent for the sport. He played the in Australian junior men’s water polo team, the Australian School Boys’ water polo team and he played at the World University Games. He was also a West Australian Institute of Sport Scholarship holder. “It's a great sport – it's like basketball in the water,” he says. “There are not a lot of injuries such as major joint injuries or concussions, and it is a sport you can play for a very long time.”

Dieter also found the sport as a great way to form new connections and friendships. “When I moved overseas (I worked in America for a couple of years and worked in South Africa for six months), it was easy to go down to the local pool, find out there was a team and join their club. That was a great way to meet people when you move to a new city; the water polo community around the world is tight-knit.” Dieter tries to get to the pool three times a week and says it is an important part of a good work-life balance. “After exercising I sleep better and I am less grumpy,” he explains. “It's also good because you get to interact with people outside of work. One of the problems with surgeons is we can be very mono-dimensional and all consuming, and it is good to interact with people outside of a healthcare work environment.” Dieter is not just playing for enjoyment but is aiming to get a team to the FINA World Championships in Kyushu, Japan, in May 2022. “We have taken the three or four players from each of the clubs around to amalgamate them into a master’s team for the 40- to 45-year-old division,” he says. “We have three ex Olympians in the squad, and we hope to get to games if they open up the international borders.” Watch this space!

It's a great sport – it's like basketball in the water

Dr Emma Pennie

CROSSFIT AND GOLF

Emma Pennie was a competitive rower for over 10 years. Now, to keep fit she participates in CrossFit and is the WA state rep for the Masters League, which is a national and international CrossFit community competition for people aged over 35. “CrossFit is functional fitness,” she explains. “It develops strength, and the coaches teach you how to lift properly to prevent injury. This helps with reducing postural and workplace injuries and reduces and virtually eliminates day to day stresses and strains. One of the main reasons I do it is it helps to clear the stress from general practice and is a good reset for my body.” She says CrossFit sessions go for an hour and the best thing is they are kid-friendly and have a kids’ area, which helps when it comes to fitting in exercise around work. Emma is also currently taking golf lessons. “I find being fit helps with work and prevents injury and posture problems with our job,” she says.

Dr Keith Wong

DANCING

Keith Wong and his wife Salina decided to learn the Viennese Waltz for their wedding in 1999, and have since taken part in social dancing, medallist exams and medallist competitions. “It’s great that I own my dental surgery and my hours are flexible – I have been taking my two daughters to learn ballroom dancing since they were six years old. Since 2016, we have been participating in Dancesport Competitions.” For the last 10 years, Keith has also been teaching social and medallist examination classes. “I have achieved accreditation for dance instructing for all three styles, and they are Ballroom, Latin and New Vogue in the recent years. “My family shares our passion in dancing,” he adds. “Ballroom dancing keeps me fit and excited, after sitting all day at work. Competition provides my family with a goal to improve, our discipline and confidence in our performance. “I am currently a dance instructor assistant in Humphreys Dance Studio from 7:30pm to 10:00pm every Thursday for Level 1 and 3 social classes. I am hoping to see my dental colleagues there in the near future.”

Dr Stefan Kolm

TRIATHLETE

Stefan Kolm started taking part in triathlons in the 1980s. “After being a competitive swimmer in Germany, I came to Perth and started studying dentistry at UWA,” he recalls. “I couldn’t maintain the six to seven hours per day in the pool while studying dentistry as the afternoon swimming training sessions started at 3pm every day. “Triathlon looked like a good sport to start, as I could do my training in my own time, often swimming early before Dental School, and training the other sports at night.” Being a good swimmer and runner, Stefan says he started doing well on the triathlon circuit,

often racing on weekends and winning prize money, which came in handy as a student. After completing his dental degree in 1988, Stefan continued racing all over Australia and internationally. “I worked as a locum dentist for two years, before spending six months in the USA and Canada, racing almost every weekend in a different city,” he says. “I returned to Australia and continued as a pro-triathlete, racing every distance from short course to ironman triathlon. The ironman is a 3.9km swim, followed by a 180km bike ride, followed by a 42 km full marathon run. This required extreme physical preparation, and I often trained eight to nine hours per day, still working part-time as a locum dentist. “I also continued to race internationally, mainly in Europe and New Zealand. I started racing more long-course competitions, including three times at the Hawaii World Ironman Championships, placing in the Top 10.” Back in Australia, Stefan was still racing Olympic-distance races, at one stage winning 35 races over a two-year period, including the Triple M Ironman Triathlon in Sydney, where he broke the course record.

“I was starting my own private dental practice in Floreat, but after a short break from triathlon, eventually returned to racing and winning some half-ironman races in Australia, including the Busselton half-ironman twice,” he says. “I continued to train four to six hours a day while running my full-time private practice, often starting training at 4:30am, and then again at night.” These days, Stefan says he doesn’t race many triathlons anymore, but has returned to more swimming. He hopes to compete in some open-water swimming races this year.

I worked as a locum dentist for two years, before spending six months in the USA and Canada, racing almost every weekend in a different city.

Dr Louise Winters

EQUESTRIAN

Louise Winters is an equestrian, competing her own horse, Champagne le Chambord (Poppy) in dressage. “We came third at the State championships this year and reserve champion at the Penny Hill Park Rising Star Award (a competition for those horses in their first season of competition). It’s not easy to juggle competitive riding with work but I love it! “I have loved horses since I was three, riding since seven, competing other people’s horses in my teens and finally bought my own at 30. Horses are amazing not just in a sporting sense, but they are like therapy. The partnership you build with a horse is like no other and I can’t imagine life without them.”

Dr Adrian Eng

KITE SURFING

Adrian Eng has been kite surfing for three seasons. “Beginners’ kite surfers like myself usually go out between the months of November to February as there are more friendly south-westerly winds,” he explains. “Experienced kite surfers can go out most of the year.” When asked what he enjoys most about the sport, he says: “The feeling of harnessing one of nature’s most primal forces – the wind – directly strapped to your body. That is truly exhilarating! “I guarantee you when you’re steering your kite in the sunny blue sky while simultaneously trying to balance your body on the board and riding into the deep ocean, the last thing you’re thinking is why you couldn’t locate the MB2 in your last molar extirpation! Kite surfing keeps me in the beautiful moment of flow.”

I guarantee you when you’re steering your kite in the sunny blue sky while simultaneously trying to balance your body on the board and riding into the deep ocean, the last thing you’re thinking is why you couldn’t locate the MB2 in your last molar extirpation!

Kite surfing has also been a great activity away from practice. “Any activity that involves the surf, sun and sand is always a good thing for a great work/ life balance.”

Dr Judy Darbyshire

WATER POLO

It was when Judy started university in 1972 that she discovered water polo. The following year, the State water polo association made a push to have a women’s team for the first time, so Judy decided to join them. “In 1977 I was selected for the Australian team and played in USA, then Berlin, 1978, at the World Championships but it was only an exhibition sport that year,” she recalls. “I then played in USA again, Holland and Brisbane.” Judy retired from the Australian team after Brisbane but continued playing state level. When the 1986 World Championships Body included women’s water polo as an accredited sport, she was asked to try out for the team again. “I was selected and played in Madrid in the first official Women’s World Water Polo Championships,” she says. “As a first official competition it was small with Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Holland and Norway competing. It was a round robin competition and very exciting as we defeated the Dutch team in the second round. The Dutch team were our major rivals so after defeating them we had to just make sure we won all our other games, which we did, and so the Australian Women’s team won the gold medal. “1986 was the Year of Peace so each gold medallist was presented with the gold medal and a Lladro ceramic sculpture of a dove. This was very beautiful but as it was packed in a box 25cm high it was quite a feat to get it home without breaking it. In fact, Michael Sturgeon’s parents brought mine home for me as I was going travelling after Madrid.” Judy says she spent a lot of time before and after work in various pools. “I was working with Perth Dental Hospital, at the time, and they were very understanding with my playing commitments, allowing me to take leave without pay for the World Championships,” Judy says. “At that stage for me it was water polo and work and not much else. I have also officiated at World Championships held here in Perth which is another rewarding aspect of involvement in a sport. “Water polo is a great sport if you are comfortable in a swimming pool and has master’s divisions for us as we age,” she adds. “There are regular international master’s competitions if people want to go that far but you train and play weekly with a group of like-minded people and the social aspect is very rewarding. Perth hosted the FINA Master’s competition for water polo in 2008 and we all had a great time playing with and against players that we had previously been on the Australian teams with and with new recruits to the sport.” Judy no longer plays water polo but says she has taken up kayaking as there are so many great areas to paddle in Perth.

Dr Agiapal Singh Dhillon

TENNIS

Agiapal (Pal) Dhillon has been playing tennis socially for about three years and says he enjoys that it provides fun and exercise at the same time. It’s also an important part of taking time out after a long day at the practice. “We do most of our work sitting all day,” Pal says. “Also, dentistry is a bit stressful. Playing tennis gives you a break from that and helps you keep fit.”

Dr Christoph Bottoni

SAILING

Orthodontist Christoph Bottoni started sailing when he was 12 and it gradually became a passion. “It all started with an obligation from my parents to attend a course during the summer holidays on Lake Lugano in Switzerland, my home lake, as a 'therapy' to my unsettled teenage behaviour,” he recalls. “I picked it up quickly and I bought my first preloved Laser sailing boat for $1,000 soon after. I’ve always been the kind of guy looking to measure up with others, therefore I started sailing competitions nationally and internationally. I was quite good as a youth, and I took over a few Swiss and Italian national titles. “My university years in Zurich were quite busy with studies and I took part as a senior at a few European events with only poor results. Sailing competitively requires full-time attention, even though I was fit because of working out hard at the gym at uni, I couldn’t spend time on the water sailing and be ‘sailing fit’.” Christoph says it was in those years that the wish to compete in the Olympics became stronger. “I thought that with the dentistry degree in my pocket, I could work part-time and pay for my sailing, but things turned out to be different – after uni I started practising-studying as a paediatric dentist in Zurich,” he says. “I was halfway aiming for a qualification for the 2004 Athens Olympics until I experienced a motorvehicle accident with no fault. With a few smashed bones and a long recovery, my body wasn’t ready for the last qualifying event for Athens, so I missed out. On the other side, I luckily managed to continue my paediatric dentistry and even do some research on sport mouthguards.” In 2004, Christoph decided to undergo further surgeries to get his body ‘fixed properly’ after the accident and two years later was back on his boat, training harder than ever.

“I decided to quit dentistry for a while and dedicate myself to training and racing, living off my savings,” he recalls. “I lived the lifestyle of a sailing gypsy among the sailing community, a small community which travels around the world and races various events! “Australian sailors have the reputation of being great, that’s why I first came to Australia during the Australian summer 15 years ago, to participate in the training sessions of the Australian team on the waters of Sydney Harbour. “My sailing improved steadily, and it became a habit for me to be in Australia during summer and spend the other half of the year in Europe.” Christoph qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the World Cup in Mallorca. “Leading up to the Olympics I felt like living a dream come true,” he says. “From the media coverage, to picking up the Olympic team clothing, to the official flight with the team to Beijing, to getting to know many sportsmen from other disciplines, it all was very exciting! In Laser sailing there’re only 45 spots, one sailor per qualified country with many sailors being left out. “Before the competition I spent many weeks sailing on the venue in Qingdao. Being Qingdao, a very light wind location during summer, for the first time ever, I didn’t have to bother about keeping up my Christoph finished his orthodontics course with a delay due to sailing, then gained working experience in Germany until he moved with his wife to Queensland. “Loving water sports, I started windsurfing for fun, more recently foiling, both require a lower level of fitness,’ he says. “I’ve sailed other boats and catamarans as well, nevertheless, deep inside my heart, I much missed the competition in Lasers.” Since recently moving to Fremantle, he bought an old Laser sailing boat and has started club racing on the weekends.

Leading up to the Olympics I felt like living a dream come true. From the media coverage, to picking up the Olympic team clothing, to the official flight with the team to Beijing, to getting to know many sportsmen from other disciplines, it all was very exciting!

body weight but to become light instead. Being genetically on the skinny side, I’m too light for the Laser boat; I must eat heaps and lift heavy things and work out hard at the gym. For the Olympics things were the opposite, I had to lose weight and no longer worry about eating. “The Olympics are a different event anyway – they’re special and they have their own vibe and surprises. I didn’t go well, indeed, I definitely underperformed. I wasn’t there mentally, and I brought personal issues from home with me, along with a different body feeling.” After 2008, Christoph kept racing, until he realised full-time sailing at a non-professional level was not going to pay the bills for long. “Still aiming for the 2012 London Olympics, I started in 2010 my postgraduate in orthodontics in Munich Germany,” he says. “It was hard to keep up with uni and at the same time attend trainings and regattas, with my sailing experience though I managed to qualify for London early. I had to repeat my result to be able to go to the Olympics but unfortunately after an injury and its recovery in 2012, I just missed out.” Christoph says he lost the joy of sailing Lasers after that. “I always said, ‘If I do it, then I do it properly.’ Being unable to keep up with the level of fitness required, together with the time needed, I sold all my gear.”

“It’s great to be back and see some familiar faces from back in the days,” he says. “Even though I’m not doing it properly as I would want to, I’m unfit and too light and my gear is dated, I enjoy being on the water and racing. “Being in a different stage than 15 years ago, a good work-life balance is one key to feeling good,” he adds. “I love being around my family and my two little boys, seeing them grow and being part of their education. I’m also enthusiastic about my Clear Orthodontic Studio in Cottesloe, a small family practice, with its own challenges and rewards, a regatta of a different kind!”