Hilary Cholhan

WHY SKIING: It was his dad, who learned to ski in the Austrian Alps, who helped Hilary lace up his first pair of leather ski boots when he was 5. He helped Hilary snap into 2 wooden boards with metal screwed-in edges, and that was it – hooked for life! Hilary has since gravitated to no other sport like to downhill skiing. Hilary cites why skiing is at the very top: vertical drops, varying terrain, variable conditions, evolving equipment and riding techniques, among others. Hilary feels that making turns on a mountain offers athletic challenges and the total exhilaration unrivaled by any other sport. Above all, his favorite aspect of snowsports? Sharing the joys of being outdoors on a snowy mountain with family and friends.

WHY AvR: Like most lifetime riders, Hilary has not evaded the inherent dangers of the sport. These on-mountain mishaps and his medical background have increasingly magnified his concern for safety-related issues in snowsports. So, in a truly bold move, Hilary recently pivoted from the medical profession to join AvR full-time and completely dedicate himself to saving skiers and boarders on the mountain.

Before AvR, Hilary was a prominent female pelvic reconstructive surgeon, passionately advocating patient empowerment and a patient-centric approach. For 30+ years Hilary helped thousands of women attain tremendous improvement in their quality of life. Embracing a transformational leadership approach he spearheaded the development of a brand new Urogynecology division at the U of R, committed to advancing women’s pelvic health. Subsequently, Hilary brought together a dedicated team of fellows, physician assistants and clinical technicians to start and develop the Women’s Continence Center of Greater Rochester, a regional beacon for women with pelvic health issues.

Over the course of his career, his professional and personal reputation provided him with opportunities beyond the scope of practicing clinical medicine. In addition to training countless medical students, residents, fellows and fellow surgeons in breakthrough surgical techniques, Hilary helped notable medical device companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Bard and Boston Scientific develop, test and bring to market cutting-edge products. He has multiple medical, mechanical and technology patents to his credit. Hilary has also assisted many prominent law firms nationwide and their clients as a medical legal expert.

Hilary draws from his multi-faceted experiences to bring AvR an exceptional blend of skills and perspectives. His experience provides AvR with robust leadership in AvR’s product development and the legal, regulatory and medically-related aspects of AvR’s progression as an innovative tech company focused on saving riders on the mountain and beyond.