Camp to beat diabetes

By Kelly Yates
AN ENDEAVOUR Hills resident will cycle for more than 24 hours to raise money for Diabetes Camps Victoria, a series of camps that help children with type-one diabetes learn skills to get the most out of life.
Craig Sharpe knows all too well about the importance of exercise when battling type-one diabetes, after he was diagnosed when he was 13-years-old.
Mr Sharpe praised the efforts of Diabetes Camps Victoria, saying he attended one of the week-long camps as a child.
“They taught me how to inject right and left handed and I met other kids just like me,” he said.
“Children with diabetes may never spend a night away from their home or may never meet another child of their own age with diabetes. It can be a very isolating time in their life.”
Mr Sharpe said the camps were for children aged between 8 and 17 years.
“There is a waiting list for children wanting to go on these camps, so the money we raise will help make more places available,” he said.
The 47-year-old manages his condition with medication, diet and regular exercise, and attends gym three to four times a week.
Mr Sharpe has spent the past month training for this weekend’s 2010 Murray to Moyne cycle relay.
He will ride with the ‘HypoActive’ team, which is a group of 12 type-one diabetic men and women.
The team is set to ride 520km from Echuca to Port Fairy and is hoping to raise $10,000 for Diabetes Camps Victoria.
“The ‘HypoActive’ team has three major goals,” he said.
“They are to provide opportunities for people living with type-ne diabetes to challenge themselves, to provide information and advice on managing diabetes with exercise, and to inspire people through stories of those who have made exercise a part of their lifestyle.”
Mr Sharpe said completing the ride was a personal challenge for him.
“I want to prove to myself and other diabetics that we can achieve our goals if we put our mind to it,” he said.
YMCA programs director Nicky Brown said Mr Sharpe was “well prepared” for the 24-hour challenge.
“He is such a good sport, even with the additional things he has to do for his condition,” she said.
“He just wants to give back to the community and inspire other people with type-one diabetes not to give up. All the staff here will support him all the way.”
Anyone wishing to donate to team HypoActive in the Murray to Moyne cycle relay can visit www.everydayhero.com.au/craig_sharpe