Diabetes Health Talk

A commenter on the last post, Dawn, tipped me off about Andy Mandell and his Wake up and Walk tour. As I know that not only professional athletes are overcoming diabetes in order to continue their sport, I followed the link to check it out and wanted to point you all toward it as well.

[I even decided not to mutter that his 'walk the perimeter of the US' didn't include Alaska, the biggest state of them all. Of course, it doesn't include Hawaii either, so guess there's no flight allowed. *g* We get left out of a lot of things, us Alaskans. We're used to it. It's the reason we call ya'll the 'Lower 48' Hee!]

Andy Mandell is the executive director of the Defeat Diabetes Foundation, and an insulin dependant Type 1 diabetic. His Wake up and Walk tour is an effort to put a face on Diabetes and raise awareness, as well as funds for the continued research into the cause and cure of Diabetes. With a stride of 30 inches, he figures each of his estimated 21 million steps will be once step per person in the United States that has Diabetes.

Here are the facts about the tour:
Began: December 1, 2000 — Madeira Beach, FL (450 mile trial walk)
Re-commenced — January, 2002 � East Milton, FL
Duration: 6-7 years (or however long it takes!)
Route: West — Western FL, AL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, CA
North — San Diego, CA to Seattle, WA
East � ID, MT, ND, MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, NY, VT, NH, ME
South — ME, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, PA, MD, VA, Washington DC, NC, SC
End Point: Madeira Beach, FL
Personal Stats: Insulin Dependent Diabetic — Diagnosed 1985
Born April 23, 1945
Height 6�4�
Weight � 250 lbs.

Andy Mandell, or Mr.Diabetes, was a runner and martial artist who had to give up running due to diabetic neuropathy. He decided to start walking then, and has since walked 9,700+ miles of the 10k mile Wake up and Walk Tour.

So check out the tour, and the foundation, as Mandell finishes his walk - there’s a ton of information on the Defeat Diabetes website, I’ve barely touched the surface, so I’m certain there is something there for everyone. So go, check them out, and tell them Lessa sent ya!