But All I Do Is Run

I remember talking with Mike Kowalchuk at the store shortly after he’d been told he had Type 2 diabetes.  His diagnosis came as a bit of a shock and adjusting to his “new life” sounded all too similar to those of our friends living with diabetes.

Yet being a runner, and the type of guy Mike is, he took it all in stride.  Literally. 

Mike wasn’t about to give up his running and, in fact, he decided to use his love for running to create something positive.  After weeks of trying to fund raise for Team Diabetes [it's not a flashy disease that attracts a lot of interest] Mike will be at the starting – and finish! – line at the marathon in Prague on May 10, 2009.

But the journey doesn’t end there.  The more people heard about Mike the more they shared their personal diabetes stories with him.  Mike quickly discovered the issues for diabetics in rural areas are different than in cities – peer support, equipment availability, information, and awareness to name a few.

“Somehow” [there are no coincidences] Mike found himself in the middle of all of this … and he decided he could do something about it.  So he created RuralDiabetesAwareness that will evolve as an online community for sharing resources, practical knowledge and support between people touched by diabetes in some way – including family and friends.

Mike also has a vision to keep running to raise awareness of diabetes and purchase much needed equipment to improve the quality of life for area residents.  He hopes to inspire and support others to do the same in their areas.

What inspires me most about Mike is his willingness to follow his heart and dive into the unknown … even though he doesn’t know how he is going to get there or what it will look like.  As far as Mike is concerned – in his own words – “but all I do is run”.