He rose to fame on ABC's reality show The Bachelor, but these days Dr. Andy Baldwin is focusing less on his personal life and more on community service and athletics.
Dr. Andy Baldwin interviewed in People Magazine: "Andy Baldwin's New Reality: Philanthropy"
September 22, 2008 (Washington, D.C.) U.S. NAVY Doctor, Humanitarian, Triathlete and TV Personality Dr. Andy Baldwin interviewed in People Magazine: "Andy Baldwin's New Reality: Philanthropy."
By Lesley Messer
People Magazine
Originally posted Wednesday September 24, 2008 04:25 PM EDT
He rose to fame on ABC's reality show The Bachelor, but these days Dr. Andy Baldwin is focusing less on his personal life and more on community service and athletics.
"[Philanthropy] is what I'm all about," the U.S. Naval Officer, triathlete and physician, 31, tells PEOPLE. "I don't have that much money to begin with, but to use the fame to give back, and promote things that you're passionate about, that's the way I'm living my life right now."
When he's not mentoring medical students, giving motivtional speeches or fighting for pancreatic-cancer awareness, Baldwin likes to work up a sweat. On Sept. 14, he came in first in his division – bettering Matthew McConaughey
"It was a fun time – I defended my title!" he says, adding that his heavy work schedule makes training difficult.
As for his fellow celeb competitors, "It was nice to meet [McConaughey]," he said. "We were chatting out in the waves before the start ... and then we got up on the podium and he looked up at me and he was like, in his typical accent, you know, he's like, 'Man! You didn't tell me you were that fast! You gotta give me some tips.' "
And J.Lo? "She was sweet," he says. "I was giving her some pointers on [swimming] and helping her relax."
On the Dating FrontIdeally, he says, he seeks someone who is "very giving and [into] helping others."
About Dr. Andy Baldwin
Dr. Andy Baldwin appeared on ABC's hit show, "The Bachelor: Officer & A Gentleman," which aired in 2007. Since then, he has made several television appearances advocating U.S. Navy medicine and his various philanthropic endeavors.
Dr. Andy Baldwin developed a strong drive for success at an early age; he worked three jobs in his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was Valedictorian of his high school class, an All-American swimmer, and was the ESPN national scholar/athlete of the year in 1995. After receiving a full Navy ROTC scholarship to Duke University, he chose to attend the prestigious school and pursued a pre-med curriculum. Andy swam as a varsity athlete throughout his undergraduate career and graduated with honors as a student-athlete in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Commissioned Officer in the United States Navy. Andy pursued his dream of becoming a physician, by enrolling and completing medical school at the University of California- San Francisco School of Medicine. After graduating in 2003, Andy completed a year internship in general surgery at Naval Medical Center San Diego, and went on to serve his operational duty in the Navy as an Undersea Medical Officer. He completed Navy Dive School and Undersea medical training and spent a three-year tour in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit ONE.
Upon moving to California, Andy took up cycling, and with his past running and swimming prowess was able to put them all together in a sport new to him - triathlon. He completed his first triathlon in 2001 with Team in Training, combining sport and charity for the first time, and finished atop the podium. He was hooked. Andy achieved his childhood dream in 2002 when he qualified for and completed the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kailua-Kona, HI in 9 hrs, 53 mins, racing in honor of his Uncle Tom. Andy has since been named to the All-Navy triathlon team five times, been a three-time U.S.A. Triathlon All-American, and competed internationally in numerous Half-Ironman and Ironman events. He is an eight-time Ironman finisher, and believes firmly in the motto "Anything is Possible!"
While stationed in Hawaii, Andy deployed to the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Cambodia, and the Republic of Palau on various diving, recovery and humanitarian missions. For the work Andy did in Laos in 2006 he was named Humanitarian of the Year by both Triathlete and Competitor magazines.
One of Andy's biggest supporters was his uncle Tom, who passed away from pancreatic cancer one month after his diagnosis in 2002. In remembrance of his uncle, Andy established a fund to help raise money for pancreatic research and continues to be supportive of the Pancreatic Cancer network. In 2004, Andy joined Project Active, a non-profit initiative dedicated to diffusing world tensions through promotion of sport in war torn and impoverished countries.
Andy was also the star of ABC's hit show "The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman," which aired in 2007. After his television appearances, Andy has become increasingly involved with domestic and global humanitarian projects. In order to help the families of America's fallen heroes, Andy started Got Your Back Network, and has overseen the project through all of its success. Andy recently transferred from Hawaii to Washington, D.C. where he is working as a Navy medicine advocate at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. He remains active in his athletic and charitable pursuits.
For more information on Dr. Andy Baldwin, visit his official website or Got Your Back Network.
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