Dr. Christian Dequet, a rheumatologist at Altru, is biking from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise support for the Arthritis Foundation. Dr. Dequet will participate in the 2021 California Coast Classic Bike Tour from September 18-25. He and Dr. Jon Allen, director of the Simulation Center at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences, will bicycle 525 miles in eight days.
“I’ve known about the tour for a long time, it was in my back yard,” says Dequet who lived in California before moving to North Dakota. “I’ve always wanted to do the whole thing but was never able to and I think it is a neat thing for me as a rheumatologist to ride with the patients that I take care of every day. The ride is beautiful, I am happy to be able to do it.”
This is not the first time Dr. Dequet has participated in the California Coast Classic Bike Tour. In the past, he has been approved to ride a shortened version with some of his patients.
“Not only is he a fascinating person that came to Grand Forks from California - he truly cares about and is interested in people, history, and the different cultural attributes that impact health and ability to live healthy,” says one of Dr. Dequet’s patients.
"I have a very strong understanding of the musculoskeletal system being a former physical therapist while working in Europe,”
explains Dr. Dequet. “I enjoy meeting patients from all walks of life and being able to help in their daily life."
“I am so passionate about what I do,” states Dr. Dequet. As a rheumatologist, Dr. Dequet specializes in all forms of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus.
Funds raised through the event will be used for arthritis research and the search for a cure. To support Dr. Dequet and the Arthritis Foundation visit: https://events.arthritis.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=233189
