Wilson Bowen shares inspiring work in Nepal

Operation Walk was founded in 1995 with the mission of providing free surgical treatments for patients in developing countries. Ever since, the non-for-profit, volunteer organization has performed thousands of procedures to treat debilitating bone and joint conditions. The surgeries are provided for patients who would otherwise have no access to the life-changing care. This past June, I was fortunate to be able to volunteer with an Operation Walk team from Northwestern Orthopaedic Institute travelling on a medical mission to Kathmandu.

            Our Operation Walk team consisted of four doctors—two surgeons, an internist, and an anesthesiologist—three nurses, three medical technicians, a physical therapist, and myself as a physical therapist’s assistant. The team performed fifteen hip and knee replacements to restore pain-free mobility to patients ranging in age from early-twenties to mid-eighties. The surgeries were performed at the Nepal Orthopaedic Hospital, where our Op Walk team was also working to train Nepali surgeons and staff with the goal of setting up the first joint replacement program in Nepal.

            Nepal is most famous for Mt. Everest and the Himalayas, the world’s tallest mountain range. The mountains, visible at above eye-level on the descent into and the ascent from Kathmandu, are spectacular. Kathmandu, situated in a Himalayan valley, is Nepal’s largest city and, according to the WHO, the most polluted city in Asia. Most citizens in Kathmandu live in poverty with an income of less than a few dollars per day and no access to clean water. Scheduled power outages are a result of government rationing, as the power grid in Kathmandu is insufficient for the city’s demands. The Nepal Orthopaedic Hospital has a backup generator, but it remains disconcerting when power momentarily cuts out during surgery. Still, the city is home to a rich religious and cultural history, with ancient palaces and Buddhist and Hindu temples dating back hundreds of years, including the most holy cremation site in Hindu, Pashupatinath Temple, which dates to 400 A.D.

The streets of Kathmandu are a buzzing and chaotic scattering of vehicles from the last hundred years. Emaciated cows pick at trash heaps on the streets, while stray dogs duck into alleyways to avoid the oncoming rush of two, three, and four-wheeled vehicles. Monkeys prance along rooftops and religious men stroll along the streets in strong robes of orange and red. At the time of our arrival, police in riot garb prepared to constrain Maoist protests against the burgeoning democratic regime—formed in 2006 when King Gyanedra relinquished sovereign power after a decade of civil war and the murder-suicide of the Royal Family by his brother, the Crown Prince Dipendra, in 2001.

The families that I met were strong and welcoming. They were sincerely grateful for our help, and, although communication was often limited to hand gestures, were incessant in expressing thanks. Here is a photo of me with my slightly camera shy, tree-climbing friend from the pediatric unit.

Traveling to Kathmandu was a humbling and rewarding experience. The Operation Walk team restored mobility and daily functionality to fifteen individuals, and I appreciate the opportunity to be involved with such a valuable organization. Their next trip is to Vietnam in early January, where they will perform over seventy joint replacements.

Wilson Bowen, 5th year senior 

Wilson Bowen on Sandy Tatum and alumni support

Last month, my teammates and I had the opportunity to attend the annual Men’s Club dinner at the Stanford Faculty Club. The official speaker for the evening was Sandy Tatum (Stanford Hall of Famer), and it was a true privilege to hear Mr. Tatum detail many of his wonderful experiences with the game of golf. 

Mr. Tatum epitomizes the tradition of Stanford Golf. NCAA Champion, Rhodes Scholar, and USGA President are just a few of his numerous accomplishments. Most inspiring though, are his tremendous efforts in the city of San Francisco and with the First Tee Organization to improve the lives of others through the game of golf.  His achievements are nothing short of remarkable.

I had the honor to play golf with Mr. Tatum at Stanford last spring. I’ll always remember the 220-yard 3-wood that he hit onto the 18^th green.

Opportunities like these make the Stanford Golf experience so unique. It is rare in college golf to find such a strong alumni community, and our yearly invitation to the Men’s Club dinner is just another example of the incredible support our team receives.  These alumni interactions ensure that Stanford Golf continues the tradition of excellence.

We’re primed to have an outstanding season this spring. 

Wilson Bowen

Senior from Winnetka, IL 

Go Card! 

Soph William Bowen reflects on season after team rounds at Cypress and the Preserve

Stanford offers an unrivaled education and the country’s best golf program, so my decision to make the trek west was a simple one. It wasn’t until I arrived at school, however, that I began to appreciate the many other unique opportunities that the program offers. This past weekend presented such an opportunity.

Carved through cliffs overlooking the Pacific, 17 Mile Drive offers some of California’s most scenic views, and Cypress Point manages to transform many of these spectacular views into a golf course. On our recent trip down to Monterey, we were lucky enough to enjoy golf and lunch at the club.

The next day showcased a similarly astounding golf course cut through the forests of a Monterey wildlife preservation. The course, called the Preserve, is a stunning Tom Fazio design amidst the wild turkeys, boars, and mountain lions of the region.

These two courses were components of a great two-day trip down to Monterey that would not have been possible without the generosity of golf team donors. Prior to enrolling in school, I never really understood the extensive support system that comes with playing on the Stanford golf team. I could not ask for better coaches and teammates, and I recognized this as a recruit, but I never imagined the generosity and support I would receive from the Stanford alumni and friends and all those who make Stanford Golf such a special program.

The team is playing great. We have been working very hard and are determined to succeed this postseason. We have been lucky enough to have many people rooting for us along the way and I know that we will not let them down.

Go Card!

  

Wilson Bowen

Freshman Wilson Bowen talks about his first weeks at Stanford

Editor's Note: Wilson Bowen is a Freshman from Winnetka, IL. He won the 2007 AJGA Cleveland Junior Championship
and finished fourth in 2006 and 2007 at the Illinois State High School Golf Championship. Above photo courtesy of Stanford Athletics.

"I’ve had a great first couple weeks at Stanford. This really is the best place to play college golf. Just in the last week we've been lucky enough to play the Peninsula Club, the California Club, and San Francisco Golf Club, all of which are incredible courses. Special thanks to all of the alumni who made this possible. The alumni support here at Stanford is remarkable. We had a great turnout at the Cardinal Classic and I really enjoyed playing with Mr. and Mrs. Gifford and their guests. They were even able to take home some hardware as our team shot a ridiculous 28 under par 42.

Our newly opened facility, The Siebel Varsity Training Center, is incredible, and definitely one of the premier facilities in the world. Our alumni once again went above and beyond to put us in the best possible situation to succeed. The Siebel Center provides us with limitless opportunities for practice and improvement, and I look forward to spending many days and practice sessions working around the facility. We’ve had some great practices out there and I know that we’ll be able to maximize our practice and improvement with this new tool.



I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my teammates. We have a great group of guys this year and a lot of camaraderie. We are a team in the truest sense of the word. My teammates have done all they can to make sure that my transition to college life goes smoothly, and I look forward to competing and working with them for the remainder of the year. We have an incredibly talented and deep squad, and I know that with some hard work we can accomplish some special things this year. We’ve been playing some great golf lately and I’m excited to see how we’ll play at The Prestige next week. Go Card!"

Wilson Bowen, Freshman