Hi Everyone,

This edition's intro is from your Prez, Monique, as our Communications Officer, Jana, takes a bit of a backstep as things progress excitedly towards the arrival of twins!

We are all a bit stuffed from some fantastic events HypoActive has been involved with recently: The Murray to Moyne Cycle Relay on April 4 and 5, as well as the Run for the Kids fun run on April 5. Both events were huge successes, so read on below to find out more and how you can become involved in 2010!

Although we have a short break until our next official events, the HypoActive committee won't be stopping. We have plenty on our plate: planning for the next twelve months, seeking feedback from our members, working with other diabetes organisations and health care centres, and hopefully instigating some exercise and diabetes related research! If you would like to be involved in any way, please contact us at info@hypoactive.org as we'd love to have you on board!

For myself, I am heading back to the US for the next five months to race on the Pro Womens team of Team Type 1 (www.teamtype1.org). This is a very exciting and daunting opportunity, and I hope I don't let down the Aussie diabetics in the process. I will still maintain an active role with HypoActive as we have too many things on the go which continues to provide motivation and inspiration for me personally. It all comes down to seeing more people become less afraid of the challenges exercise brings to diabetes management, and the realisation that your overall health benefits from being fitter and more active. As one of our members, Gavin, likes to say, 'Exercise: the next best thing to a cure'. Keep inspiring me please!

Enjoy our newsletter.

Monique
Prez.

Murray to Moyne - April 4 and 5

This year's Murray to Moyne included for the seventh year running a team consisting entirely of folk with type one diabetes. The 2009 team had many new faces - all up eight first time riders - who had come from all over Australia. We were here to ride, challenge ourselves, learn more about our own diabetes management during physical activity, and raise money to support Diabetes Camps Victoria, a charity that runs camps for kids with type one diabetes. We had it all: sunshine, rain, wind, headwind, and one small 17km section of tailwind which was the envy of those waiting their turn back in the bus! Between ride shifts there was plenty of tom foolery, dare I say it - singing, laughing and testing of blood glucose. Without fear of judgement, the entire ride team and crew could be heard yelling their test results out for our dedicated blood glucose recorder, Lyndal, to jot down. The results - albeit unscientific (for now...stay tuned for future events) showed that the team maintained very good blood glucose control despite the challenges of extraordinary riding (who goes for a ride at 11pm?), unsettling pizza, lack of sleep and the adrenaline rush of riding in the rain (or was that shivering?)! Check out the ride report as well as the personal stories of those who took up the challenge for their first time: http://www.hypoactive.org/content/murray-moyne-2009 Next year it'll be your story! If interested get in touch with ride captain Monique (monique@hypoactive.org).
Donations (tax deductible) are still being collected for Diabetes Camps Victoria on our Everyday Hero fundraising page: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/hypoactive

Run 4 Kids - April 5

Sunday April 5 dawned chilly, but thankfully not raining - a blessing for the 2009 HypoActive Run for the Kids team. A total of 13 runners and walkers signed up to our team, many of whom were first-time attendees to a HypoActive event. After getting decked out in the team running singlets, armed with mixed lollies in case of hypo's (many thanks to our good friend The Nut Bloke) and reminders to check blood sugar levels, the all important team photo was taken. The team then dispersed towards their respective start lines for the morning: the short course of 5.7Kms leaving from Linlithgow Avenue and the long course of 14.1Kms setting off from Alexandra Avenue. With 30,000 people participating in the events and their respective families and friends on hand to cheer them on, finding our way to the baggage drop off section and the start line was an achievement in itself.

The experience of running through the Domain tunnel was amazing, as was coming up over the Bolte Bridge (once you finished the slow climb up there that is!) to look out over the Melbourne skyline. If you take a look at the photo’s of the crowds on the day, this event is unusual in that you do run practically shoulder to shoulder for the entire course. Despite the classification as a non competitive 'fun run', the HypoActive team still finished a very respectable 30th of the 56 Community teams in the long course with a cumulative time of 6 hours 40 minutes and 57 seconds. We placed 41st in the short course with a cumulative time of 4 hours, 49 minutes and 38 seconds.

Check out the run report and the photos of the day on our website: http://www.hypoactive.org/content/run-kids-2009 . If you are keen to join us next year, please contact Laura (laura@hypoactive.org) or Meg (meg@hypoactive.org).

Member Update - Simon Bennett

Simon Bennett is a 25 year old cyclist from Bendigo in central Victoria. He has had type one diabetes since 1994. A former swimmer, in 2009 he is learning to race with the Team Type 1 Development Squad. For eight months he will be based on the east coast of the US in Richmond, Virginia, working with Team Type 1 coaching staff, racing, and promoting awareness of good management of type one diabetes. He recently shared with us some of his challenges of finding the ideal insulin regime to meet his needs. His story can be found here: http://www.hypoactive.org/content/member-update-victorian-simon-bennett-riding-team-type-1-2009

DESA Athletic Achievement Award - Nominations now open for 2009

DESA - the Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association - is the international body for all things exercise and diabetes related. The DESA Athletic Achievement Award is an annual award presented to individuals with diabetes who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in pursuit of their athletic goals, and who can serve as inspirational role models for all persons with diabetes. The program honours one adult and one youth. Nominations close May 15. To find out more and how you can apply, please visit the DESA website: http://www.diabetes-exercise.org/index.asp

May 29 JDRF Spin to Cure Diabetes - Are you keen to become a Queen of Spin (or King)?

We understand it is short notice, but on May 29 in the City Square in Melbourne, JDRF will be hosting a shortened version of their annual Ride for the Cure event, called the Spin for the Cure.

The event is scheduled for a lunchtime on a Friday - so you would need to be able to get to the city during this period. Here is how it works:

The only one of its kind in Australia, the Spin to Cure Diabetes pegs organisation against organisation in a stationary bicycle race to see who can spin the hardest and travel the furthest. Each person in a team of five must spin for 8 minutes and the fastest team on the day will be declared the "Kings of Spin".
The details for the 2009 Spin to Cure Diabetes are:
Date: Friday 29 May 2009
Time: 40 minutes during lunch
Location: City Square, Melbourne (corner of Swanston and Collins Streets)
Of course the ultimate race is the race for a cure for type 1 diabetes. With the help of a state-of-the-art fundraising website, each team of five must raise at least $2000 to be eligible to participate in the event.
More information can be found on the JDRF website: http://www.jdrf.org.au/help-find-a-cure/spin-to-cure-diabetes
If you are interested in being part of a HypoActive team in this crazy event, please get in touch with our Activities Coordinator, Laura, ASAP! (Laura@hypoactive.org)

DA-Vic Membership Focus Groups - Monday 20th or Tuesday 21st April

The membership department of Diabetes Australia - Victoria will be running focus groups on Monday and Tuesday next week (20th & 21st) at our Elizabeth St office. The focus groups were advertised in the latest issue of Diabetes Today.

This is a great opportunity for some Type 1's to give Diabetes Australia feedback on why many Type 1's don't have DA membership and what they need to do to encourage them to join.

The details of the groups are:

Monday 20th or Tuesday 21st April
570 Elizabeth Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000

Time: 11.00-12.30

Lunch will be provided and up to $20 to help cover the cost of travel.

Please contact Tom Radomski (TRadomski@diabetesvic.org.au or phone 03-8648-1829) if you are able to attend.

A word of thanks..

There are an amazing amount of people and organisations who help us run our teams. As we wrap up our summer event schedule it is timely to recognise and officially thank those who have helped us out:
Jayco (http://www.jayco.com.au/)
Abbott Diabetes Care (http://www.abbottdiabetescare.com.au/)
Diabetes Australia - Victoria (http://www.diabetesvic.org.au/)
First Track Adventures (http://www.firsttrack.com.au/)
The Nut Bloke (http://www.thenutbloke.com/)
Novo Nordisk (http://www.novonordisk.com.au)
Medtronic (http://www.medtronic-diabetes.com.au/)
...as well as all those individuals who donated and loaned items, drove hundreds of kilometres, sat at the end of the pool and counted laps, recorded blood glucose, reminded us to test (at least twice!) and baked awesome goodies. Thank you.