Racing to Healthy Lifestyle - Return to Vietnam

By Alison Cardoza Photos By Matt Johnson & Provided • Sponsored

At Baptist Health Milestone, Michael Davidson, a member and avid cycling enthusiast, is a role model to fellow members, encouraging them to share in a remarkable experience in Vietnam with him. 

“When I first encountered Vietnam over fifty years ago, I was an Infantry officer in the First Air Cavalry Division and everyone was shooting at me. When I started going back to Vietnam in 2001 to ride a bike, no one was shooting at me. That makes for a more enjoyable trip,” laughs Michael Davidson. 

“On my first trip back to Vietnam in 2001, I was looking for a warm weather ride during the cold Kentucky winters. The TET Lunar celebration is in early February and was the perfect fit,” says Mike. Têt, short for Têt Nguyên Đán, is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and the most important festival in Vietnamese culture. It signifies the arrival of spring, a fresh start, and a time for family, reunions, and paying respect to ancestors. It falls between late January and mid-February. 

“After a couple of trips back, I started recruiting friends to join me on this adventure. The core of our Vietnam ride is a Milestone riding group. We love to ride together every Sunday in Kentucky. Indoors when the weather is bad, and at Floyds Fork in good weather. We now have added on army veterans and friends of friends for the Vietnam trip. We had 17 riders on our most recent trip this past February, riding around 150 miles together. While we are there, we support a small orphanage in the Mekong Delta. Our group is generous and we help substantially in maintaining the orphanage for the entire year. We plan to go back every two years and end the trip in Saigon for the TET celebration,” says Mike. 

“Before tourism came to Vietnam, If you stopped your bike in a remote village, many people would gather to look at an American, perhaps the first American that they had ever seen. The kids had to take English in school and they wanted to practice their somewhat limited skills. One day, riding out of a rural village alone, two young teenage girls on a single bike caught up to me. They wanted to talk. During my interaction with the open and friendly Vietnamese, they asked me if I had been there for the war. I confirmed, and asked what side their family had been on. Viet Cong was their response, which led me to ask why. One of them took a moment to respond with a single thought: “freedom.” I had thought that was our purpose; however, her guileless answer was absolutely genuine, which gave me pause,” says Mike. 

Embarking on a journey 9000 miles away from their Kentucky home, accompanied by 17 friends, fulfills a transformative, fundamental human desire that enriches one’s life. 

Whether you ride at home on your Peloton, cycle at your favorite studio, or travel miles away, pedal towards a healthier you! 

Alison Cardoza, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and Fitour Group Exercise Instructor at Baptist Health Milestone Wellness Center. BS Exercise Science and Sports Medicine with a minor in Health Promotions from University of Louisville. Former UofL Ladybird and NFL Colts Cheerleader.