Melanie Aalburg is SailingDoc, ViolinDoc, MarathonDoc

Name: Dr. Melanie Aalburg

Date of birth: 07.04.1974
Place of birth: Berlin (Germany)
Place of living: Berlin

Between school and university I worked for several months as a volunteer for the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa) in the slums of Calcutta (India) . The strong impressions encouraged me to study Medicine…

1993: I started studying medicine at the Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany)
2003: Specialization in Sports Medicine
2004: Specialization in Nutritional Medicine
2004: PhD thesis under Prof. Dr. M. Obladen
Department of Neonatology, Rudolph-Virchow Klinikum Berlin
Study of minerals and trace elements in 10 infants with extremely low birth weight of less than 1000g
2006: Certification for Travel-and Tropical Medicine
2007: Specialization in General Medicine

My main hobby is sailing:

Since my early childhood I have been sailing on the river Havel in Berlin. My passion for sailing has been passed on to me by my parents and grandparents.
Since 1985: Member of "Segler-Verein Stößensee Berlin"

My highlights in offshore sailing:

1985: Hamburg - Reykjavik (Island)- Faeroe Islands - Shetlands - Hamburg
1989: Hamburg - North-Cape (Norway) - Hamburg
(I did single-handed nightshifts in the age of 15)
1992: My twin sister and I celebrated our 18th birthday together in a heavy storm on the Atlantic Ocean on our way to Madeira
(my parents and a few dolphins were our guests…)
1999: Crossed the South Atlantic in 29 days from
Buenos Aires - Cape Town as a crewmember on board the 18m sailing yacht of the famous German sailor "Manfred Kerstan"
2006: Became member of the first German ladies-only team for the transatlantic race "HSH Nordbank blue-race" from
Newport (USA) - Hamburg (Germany)
My Job: helmsman, navigation, medicine on board,
fitness trainer of the team

My highlights in racing:

2000: 10th place, European Championship, Laser-II, Travemünde (Germany)
2003: 17th place, World Championship, Laser-II class, Hoorn, (Netherlands)
2003/ 2005: 1st place, German open, Laser-II class, Warnemünder Woche
2006: HSH Nordbank pre blue race, X-482 class, as Co-Skipper in a ladies-only team
2006: 1st place, Berlin Yardstick Masters, Esse class, Berlin

….and I also have some other Hobbies:

Music
1987: I started playing Violin in a school orchestra
since 2002: Member in the "Junges Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin-Spandau"
Running
1996, 2003 and 2005: Ran the Berlin Marathon [Aalburg, Dr. Melanie 04:16:32 Berlin Marathon]

melanie_aalburgyahoo.de