San Antonio pediatric anesthesiologist John Shepherd, MD, and his wife, Texas Medical Association Alliance (TMAA) President Jenny Shepherd, are avid defenders of medicine and its ilk.
For years, the couple have espoused medical advocacy across various roles within organized medicine, where they have worked with legislators, community members, and physicians to strengthen health care, raise funds for organizations supporting medicine, and better their community.
However, the pair are not just activists – they’re also active, as ardent hikers. On their days off, the couple can be found traversing segments of the 567-mile Colorado Trail, backpacking and camping along its rugged terrain for weeks at a time.
The trail, spanning from Denver to Durango, Colo., is known for being both remote and difficult. As it weaves through Colorado – even intersecting the famous 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail that runs from Mexico to Canada – it offers 89,000 vertical feet of climbing, a challenge Ms. Shepherd said is “hard for any Texan.”
The Shepherds are required to walk an average of 15 miles to reach the designated pick-up point at the end of a daily hike, Dr. Shepherd says.
“Once you start the Colorado Trail, you can’t get off,” Dr. Shepherd, president-elect of the Bexar County Medical Society, said. “You’ve got an obligation to [hike] anywhere between 15 and 40 miles before you can get off the trail at the next civilization. It can be hard work.”
Together, however, Ms. Shepherd has found that “nothing is too difficult.” So far, their efforts have amounted to 248 miles.
“We enjoy accomplishing goals together,” Ms. Shepherd said. “It’s one of the reasons why we’ve advocated for medicine as a team for so many years. We’re big overachievers.”
A new perspective
The Shepherds weren’t always confident on the trail, however. When their hiking endeavor began in 2020 – after Ms. Shepherd became inspired by the novel “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed, which documents the author’s 1,100-mile solo hike – the couple spent a year preparing by researching hiking best practices, listening to accounts of others who had hiked the Colorado Trail, and purchasing new gear. (See “The Shepherds’ Backpacking Essentials,” right.)
Then, the couple tested that equipment, including backpacks, water filtration devices, sleeping bags, and tents, on short hikes around their hometown of San Antonio. After several “hot and humid” treks, the couple were ready for the real deal.
Well, except for the elevation gain, Ms. Shepherd says.
“When you’re on your third mile of uphill hiking, gaining 2,000 feet of elevation, even taking 100 steps forward seems like an achievement,” she said.
Nevertheless, the trail’s mountainous views and quiet surroundings have routinely brought a sense of peace to the couple. Over the years, the Shepherds have become used to having only the forest, the trail, and each other as company – and even have begun to look forward to the “mental break,” Dr. Shepherd said.
As a busy physician, Dr. Shepherd says he especially benefits from the peace and quiet.
“It is totally worthwhile for physicians to take a break from their day-to-day activities,” he said. “When you’re able to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, you’re able to achieve a new perspective about what is important to you. That self-care was absolutely valuable, even if I didn’t recognize it until later.”
As TMAA president, Ms. Shepherd also is used to a heavy workload of fundraisers and TMA events like First Tuesdays at the Capitol that keep her “booked and busy.” Next year, the Shepherds will co-chair the 2025 TMA Foundation Gala, alongside San Antonio radiologist Zeke Silva, MD, and his wife, Erika Silva.
The gala will incorporate a celebration of the great outdoors with its theme, “Adventure!,” while bringing physicians together to discuss health care, advocacy, and now, nature.
The combination of medicine and nature is a natural conclusion for Ms. Shepherd. She uses her hiking trips not only to reset, but also as an example of trying new and difficult things – “much like advocacy,” she said.
“When I speak to the spouses of physicians who think they don’t have what it takes to advocate for medicine, I implore them to just try,” she said. “We said the same thing when we started hiking. If we can do it, so can you – that’s my entire advocacy message.”
Unfortunately, the Shepherds were not able to complete their hike this year after Ms. Shepherd injured her knee on the trail. However, the couple plan to finish the trail in the future.
“It is hard on the knees,” Ms. Shepherd said. “But we won’t stop until we finish the entire trail.”
