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Aaron Du has found parallels between his systematic approach to success in golf and his newfound passion in the field of epidemiology.
Aaron Du Leans On Systematic Approach On And Off The Golf Course
This feature originally appeared in the 2024 Summer edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.
Aaron Du always had a plan.
By age 14, Du was chasing the dream – with a well-crafted plan – of becoming the first Chinese golfer to achieve success on the PGA Tour. He moved from his hometown of Beijing to Florida to study and play golf at Lake Mary Preparatory School. He took on sizable language and cultural barriers, rising to the top of his class at Lake Mary while catching the attention of NCAA Division I golf coaches, including Walter Chun, the former Alex and Marie Shipman Director of Cal Men’s Golf.
But when a severe bacterial infection abruptly halted Du’s golf dream in the summer of 2018, he turned pain, anxiety and uncertainty into a new plan that has guided him since.
Du spent an extended period at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where multiple medical examinations identified his bacterial infection and led to two surgeries and a daunting six-month recovery. While enduring his own pains and struggles – teaching his body how to walk again and the mental hurdle of battling his own high expectations for a swift recovery – Du witnessed the hardships of others around him in the hospital. His rehabilitation experience ignited what would become a purpose and a passion for the field of epidemiology.
“I saw so much suffering at Loma Linda Hospital. I learned to appreciate what we have; our health above all, as well as those little things we just take for granted,” Du reflected. “What could I do to alleviate suffering for…
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