“There
is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares
about.” - Margaret J. Wheatley
When Animas
first brainstormed the idea of bringing together a group of people with
diabetes with a common interest in Sports and exercise, they most likely had no
idea that only a handful of years down the line a spot on that weekend would
become such a sought-after commodity in the realm of diabetes events.
In only its fledgling years, it is fast becoming an event in the diabetes calendar not
to be missed, offering the chance to learn from the UK's leading specialists
about the physiological impact of sport and exercise. It teaches us how to manage wily blood sugars when you are half way through your desert marathon
run (I'm not even kidding - meet Roddy).
Learning how to
manage those challenges and practice the teachings with a host of medical
professionals on are just two of the gifts the weekend can offer.
Attendees have the chance to hear motivational talks from people who have
achieved the most inspirational challenges and last but most certainly not
least, participants are offered the chance to come together with others from across
the continent to form a community of people affected by awesomeness.
That's right, awesomeness.
So how do you
sum up that kind of weekend in a post that isn't the size of an average
Dissertation? It's hard, but here goes:
The talks
The weekend
kicked off with a welcome and talk from Dr Ian Gallen, the man heading up the
education on the weekend who boasts references such as being consultant to Sir
Steven Redgrave during the Olympics (we simply file that under
'legendary'). He explained the impact of different types of exercise on
the diabetic body and gave information on how to negotiate those changes with a
pump or multiple daily injections. He told us about the effects of
hormones on blood glucose levels and how to fuel effectively during exercise.
His talk, the culmination of decades of work, left everyone keen to get going
on the 'trying it out' part of the agenda.
Saturday offered
advice from Alistair Lumb about the benefits of incorporating pumps and - to a
lesser extent - CGMs in exercise management. Later, Dr Chris Kelly gave
his talk on comparisons between different diets and maintaining weight loss
longer term and to accompany him, your very own Ms Independent (Kelly
Clarkson?) gave a talk on my own weight challenge over the last year.
The awesome
Claire Duncan took to the floor to share her story of competing in not one but two half Ironmans (Ironmen?) and
a full one (140.4 miles of swimming, biking and a whole marathon to boot!), as
well as swimming the channel AND being a regular triathlete. She told us of the pull she has to sport, and offered words of advice
to those who want to get started. And did I mention she's awesome?
Finally,
everyone's favourite Mr Motivator and social media powerhouse Paul Buchannon
took the floor to talk about the Great Britain Diabetes Online Community (DOC) and how his
simple idea of getting people talking to one another and find friendship in
the furthest corners of the world led to him founding DOCs in over 12
countries. What a difference one person with an idea and a bunch of
enthusiasm can make...
The
exercise
Armed with the
tools now firmly parked in our diabetes arsenal, the participants headed off
after their more than ample breakfasts to experiment with the advice given and
the sports on offer.
The activities
of the weekend included circuit-style fitness, boot camp and spinning, while
the afternoon brought Badminton and Volleyball. On Sunday we had the
chance to play a game of rounders, which was evidently more about enthusiasm
than skill, although I did manage to hit a ball for the first time since school. This impresses you, I can tell.
Other lessons
from the weekend included that I ‘volleyball’ in the same manner I ‘Salsa’ and that
I am significantly better at smack-talking the other team than I am contributing
to the success of my team.
What I really learned
about exercise however – including how and when to adjust basals, what recovery
snacks are best and how to exercise safely - will undoubtedly assist me in the
challenges I hope to embark on in the next few months.
A post with
specific lessons will follow because as you can see, there is just too much
going on in such a short time to confine it to just one post!
The people
As with most of
these events, it is the people who make it what it truly is. The event
saw people of all shapes, sizes, nationalities, exercising experience and
sporting prowess come together. United by diabetes, this year saw a much
bigger attendance by our European family members including those from Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland and the mildly bonkers Danes (who even brought their own
dance?!).
It is the kind of
event that starts with people politely asking 'where are you from', and closes
with ‘let’s climb a mountain together’. It is a safe space where everyone
there has something in common with you.
It is the only gift I believe diabetes gives us; a universal family. It allows us kinship with those we’ve never
met, and allows us to be friends with people in an instant, simply because they
get ‘it’. It brings us community.
As the closing comments were made and with a
lump in my throat I felt compelled to speak out. Int he previous day's reflection sessions, Dr Gallen divulged how when he first tried understanding the physiology of the diabetic body during exercise all those years ago, he was told he was ‘mad’ and that it was ‘pointless’. Are we, by extension, then also pointless? The people
with diabetes who want to climb a mountain?
Those who wish to swim the channel?
Those who aim to lose weight because they deserve to? Those who go on to inspire others?
No, this aim was not pointless; we, are not
pointless. Thankfully, Dr Gallen ignored
those comments and years on he and Animas have helped create a community of high aimers and won’t settlers are
achieving their goals, because someone understood that value.
To them, I say 'Thank you'.
