HypoActive

HypoActive's second AcT1vate was held from Feb 4-6 to attendees with type 1 diabetes and General Practitioners from right across Australia.  The weekend was a great success, with even keynote speaker Gary Scheiner from the USA returning home invigorated!

AcT1vate is a serious investment for getting the most out of exercise, with practical tools and tips to cover all abilities and fitness levels.  HypoActive managed the event, engaging a huge number of volunteer support to make it happen, as well as support from our sponsors sanofi-aventis, Medtronic, and Abbott Diabetes Care. 

AcT1vate has been endorsed by the Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Clinical Science in Diabetes (Diabetes CCRE).

Best seminar on diabetes I have attended in my 34 years with the disease - Greg

Friday night welcomed guests with type 1 from all across Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia, bringing back memories of University days with accommodation on-site at International House.  The program commenced with Helen Donovan to discuss motivation and goal setting, and after a break for dinner, recommenced with short reports from 2010 AcT1vate graduates Craig and Bec who shared their achievements in exercise over the past twelve months.  Dr Gary Kilov, who has type 1 and coeliac disease, brought everyone up to speed with the latest management approaches to type 1 diabetes.  And Cheryl Steele concluded the night with the latest research on hypoglycaemia.

Saturday morning commenced with optional exercise sessions.  With the constant rain, many opted for a sleep in to conserve their energies for the day but those who took part in the yoga session with type 1 Toni were well rewarded.

Keynote speaker from the USA, Gary Scheiner, kicked off the Saturday lectures to a packed house.  The type 1s were joined on the Saturday and Sunday programs by 35 GPs from around Australia.  Gary did not disappoint, with his practical explanations and common sense approach to all exercise scenarios.  While the GPs moved on to discuss exercise strategies for their patients, the type 1s learnt from run coach supremo Tony Benson about approaches to training and run techniques.

After lunch the GPs and type 1s converged again to what became the most talked about session of the weekend.  Using case studies, Gary Scheiner lead an intriguing debate on the best approach to exercising and type 1 diabetes management dilemmas.  Hearing suggestions from both patients and health professionals was a rewarding experience for all.  Kerryn Roem brought us the latest approach on diet and nutrition, including a few tests on carb estimates for various foods.  The morning tea muffins were never treated the same after!

Saturday afternoon was spent poolside with practical sessions for all levels of swimmers.  For the non-water lovers, corework and zumba sessions were on offer.  The day schedule concluded with a panel on common injuries for type 1s, hosted by Dr Gary Kilov and featuring Dr Jamie Gaida, physio Paula Harding, and Dr Stephen Leow.

We were joined at the Saturday night dinner with a group of U18 type 1s and their parents.  Funded by a community grant from the National Australia Bank, this allowed the opportunity to witness the Saturday night 'Ask the Athlete' panel.  The panel consisted of track cyclist superstars from NZ Steph Mckenzie, former Australian cycling champion Carey Hall, Team Type 1 triathlete and Race Across AMerica (RAAM) winner Matt Vogel, and mutli-sports champion (outrigger canoeing, triathlon, duathlon and swimming) superstar Robyn Saultry.  Despite the long day, we were all enthralled by the anecdotes and advice shared by the athletes.
 

Sunday morning was spent cycling in one of the many bunches on offer which catered to all abilities, or further personal training with Heidi Buntrock.  Following the break we heard from Dan Seller on resistance training before Robyn Saultry detailed how she managed to compete at the top of the world while managing diabetes.  The last session of the weekend was the Health Professional Panel, an opportunity for anyone to ask nagging questions about exercise and type 1 diabetes.

Pictures from the weekend are here.

Feedback from participants has been very positive. 

Keith's review

Keith Skidmore came from Hobart to attend.  Here is his experience of the weekend:

I must say that I was initially reluctant to come to AcT1vate .
At 67 I was sure to be the oldest one there and since I was only diagnosed as a Type 1  five months earlier -what could I contribute? And to top it off I had an operation the week before and didn’t feel the urge to exercise! However I had experienced low BG levels after exercise and knew that if I didn’t gain an understanding of the causes of this phenomenon and develop strategies for overcoming it, my ability to exercise was going to be very limited. So following the encouragement of my family [and Monique's mother Kaye!] I came and what a great experience it was. To hear lucid explanations of the relationship between hypos and exercise, case histories and strategies for self care from world authorities who also happened to type 1’s was a real privilege. We heard from elite  T1 athletes about their struggles and triumphs , exercise experts, dietitians, GP's and psychologists. All of whom gave me a lot of confidence and reassured me that even with my comparatively modest exercise program I could be safe and even continue to extend myself.
Like all conferences the social interaction with other participants over a meal or a cup of tea was very valuable. Coming from Hobart, where able bodied T1’s are a bit thin on the ground, I really appreciated being with so many vital young people. Some of their stories will stay with me and inspire me for a long time to come. Let’s hope that after the organising committee recovers there will be another AcT1vate . Next time I will bring my wife.