Brazilian Doctor Adventurer Karina Oliani to Speak at PUC

Due to an unexpected weather situation, Oliani will be unable to make it to her scheduled speaking event at PUC on Saturday evening. Her presentation will be rescheduled and announced as soon as possible.

On Saturday, Oct. 27, Brazilian physician and adventurer Karina Oliani will speak at Pacific Union College. This event is free and open to the public.

Born with a thirst for adrenaline-pumping adventure, Oliani completed both her first parachute jump and her scuba diving training at age 12. By 17, she was a two-time Brazilian wakeboard champion, a three-time snowboard champion, a record-holding free diver.

Oliani has mastered many sports, including rock climbing, motocross, canoeing, paddle boarding, abseiling, horseback riding, surfing, orienteering, kitesurfing, sandboarding, water and alpine skiing, snowboarding, mountaineering, and bungee jumping. She also has her private helicopter pilot license.

Throughout this sporting, however, Oliani has also fed her passion for service. Combining it with her love of adventure, she acquired her medical degree and now travels the world in search of both caring for others and exploring her own physical limits. She recently accompanied a group of students from PUC to Fiji, where they provided medical care for many local residents through a free health clinic. While there, Oliani took the opportunity to complete a cage-free dive with sharks.

Her combined passions led Oliani to become the first Brazilian doctor to have earned certification in wilderness medicine, making her a specialist in emergency medicine and rescue in remote areas. In 2007 she co-founded Medicina da Aventura, a medical organization whose main objective is to develop the idea of wilderness medicine in Brazil.

Oliani will speak in the Grind, a café located downstairs from the campus Dining Commons. Food will be provided at 5:30 p.m., followed by Oliani’s presentation. For a campus map, visit puc.edu/about-puc/campus-map. For more information about Oliani, visit karinaoliani.com.br.