By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
IT’S been 16 years since Brooke McGown-Grills was diagnosed with diabetes and each year since she has dedicated her time to raising awareness of the illness.
This year will be no different with Brooke planning to jump out of a plane next month to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Brooke, from Narre Warren North, said campaigning about diabetes had been a passion of hers since 1998, when she first participated in the Walk to Cure Diabetes.
“I’ve done the walk every year since I was diagnosed but last year I did the jump,” she said.
“I wanted to do it again.
“There’s usually around 50 people that participate in the jump.”
The “jump” is just that – a sky dive out a plane accompanied by a partner who will be strapped to Brooke’s back.
The plane, which can carry only five people at a time, will fly over Barwon Heads at 14,000 feet and Brooke will leap out, hoping to raise as much money for her act of daring as she can.
Brooke said she wasn’t too concerned about jumping out of the plane, especially having done it before.
“I’m more worried about diabetes. I think the more awareness you can get out here, the better,” she said.
“Type one has a stigma about it and I want to try and challenge that.”
To this point Brooke has raised $1600 but the 22-year-old is determined to reach $2000, and hopefully higher.
“A lot of diabetics spend their time in and out of hospital,” Brooke said.
“Hopefully, I can help to prevent this in the future.”
While Brooke’s confidence is sky high when it comes to jumping out of the plane, she admitted her mum and dad were a little more tentative.
“My parents were bit nervous but they’re proud of me,” she said.
“I’ve done the campaigning mostly off my own back.”
