It's just what the doctor

TV's star doctor, Michael Mol has an insatiable thirst for adrenalin, writes Itumeleng Motuba

MICHAEL Mol might just be the sexiest medical doctor in South Africa.

This former Mr South Africa hosts the popular medical show Hello Doctor, which currently has an average viewership of well over a million people.

The show was renamed The Dr Mol Show in April 2012. He is no stranger to people's lounges, having been one of the prominent faces of the lifestyle magazine show Top Billing and the SABC morning show Expresso.

He is not just a pretty face either. This stud started out his career as a medical doctor with an interest in emergency medicine and HIV management.

Fifteen years ago Mol swapped his scrubs for a suite and has since spoken to the stars, travelled the world and shared his experiences in a personal and endearing way with a captive audience, scooping up numerous media awards along the way.

He's a writer and a speaker who suffers from an incurable addiction ... an insatiable thirst for adrenalin!

From skydiving out of a hot-air balloon, to running the bulls in Pamplona, to scuba diving under a frozen lake, to wing-walking on a bi-plane, to surfing the great Zambezi white waters on a body board and bungee jumping off the highest bridge in the world backwards ... there's nothing he shrink from - yet!

So it comes as no surprise that Mol is crazy about his car, the Audi A7. A resident of Cape Town, he is the father of three; and he feels the A7 suites his lifestyle the best.

What was your first car?

A little Mazda 323, with a hole in the floor in front of the driver's seat. In wet weather, a puddle would form under my feet - but thankfully it was in the days when thick-soled shoes were "in" (were they ever?)

What did it cost?

It cost me a lot of chores at home and a promise on my life that I would drive responsibly.

When did you get it?

After I got my driver's licence (on my second attempt) - the first attempt I was nearly taken out by a truck when I turned across an intersection misjudging how fast the oncoming truck was travelling.

My driving instructor/tester instantly turned white, then red - he was so not a happy camper!

What attracted you to it?

It was FREE!

How long did you have it?

Long enough to render it almost worthless by the time I wanted to sell it.

What is the most surprising thing about your current car?

That it doesn't collect water under my feet in wet weather.

Tell us about your first big accident?

I was on a bicycle, and a student in a VW Beetle crossed an intersection, misjudged how fast I was riding (think back to the driver's test) and took me out. My claim to fame after I recovered (the bike didn't) was that I put a significant dent into an almost undentable car. Still have the scar to prove it.

You are driving down the Cote d'Azur in a Ferrari Daytona, who would be your dream passenger?

Enzo Ferrari himself ... just to see the look on his face as he experiences the realisation of a lifelong passion - and the thrill of driving a breed and brand of car that he created.

What is the one drive that you will never forget?

A frozen lake in Scandinavia, racing Sepp Haider (world rally championship driver) around a track carved out of soft snow on the ice. The worst I could do was crash out into a wall of snow, back up onto the track and keep going ... it was like Playstation - only for real!