About Dr. Maroon

Maroon and BettisDr. Maroon’s life has not been the happy-go-lucky story you may have expected. Here, he shares his own life story and some of his hard-learned life lessons. Dr. Maroon is renowned for the inspiring lectures and presentations he has given about the importance of balance in life. Aside from his personal story, you can also find Dr. Maroon’s biography and full CV, along with some stories of Dr. Maroon’s patients.

Adversity Leads to Personal Triumph

While everybody loves a winner, they also root for the underdogs. If you’ve ever felt like the underdog – the long shot – I can relate!  I am not the tallest or biggest person you will meet, but despite size, coming from a small town and losing my father at an early age, I have always tried to change adversity into challenges to overcome. One of the reasons I now believe I strived to become a neurosurgeon was because it is one of the most difficult surgical sub-specialty to enter and complete.  Long days leading into longer nights, difficult operations and life and death decisions became a daily occurrence.  But like Icarus,* when I wanted to fly too high and “got too close to the sun”, things fell apart…

I am glad to share with you what I have learned throughout my personal quest to overcome adversity to become an accomplished neurosurgeon, scientist, Ironman athlete, consultant, author, and advocate on healthy living and nutrition. Learn how I went from being a typical out-of-shape middle-aged adult to athlete, competing in Ironman competitions all over the world. Learn about lessons discovered through my own struggles to live a longer and healthier life, which may help you on your journey to better health. And most importantly, learn what you can do today to affect your genes to change your life for the better.

*Icarus is a Greek mythology character. The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from the Greek island of Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. He ignored instructions not to fly too close to the sun, and the melting wax caused him to fall into the sea where he drowned. 

See Dr. Maroon’s Video on Healthy Living

Disclaimer

Tri-State Neurosurgical Associates-UPMC
Administrative Oakland Office Address:
Presbyterian University Hospital
Department of Neurosurgery
Suite 5C
200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 1-888-234-4357

© 2013 Tri-State Neurosurgical Associates – UPMC