Fundraising Roundup

Biking and running Aotearoa

Over spring and summer, many Kiwis were busy raising money in the name of diabetes. Here’s a round-up of the brilliant and sweaty work that some have done, from the tip to the toe of our beautiful country.

BIKE 2 BEAT DIABETES

Palmerston North local Jude Fieldhouse got on her trusty steed and e-biked the entire length of Aotearoa New Zealand in just over a month. Her aim was to ‘Bike 2 Beat diabetes’. Last year, she was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. With that in mind, Jude jumped on the diagnosis, turning it into an opportunity to fundraise, raise awareness, and knock off a personal goal – to cycle the length of the country. ‘I decided if I was going to bike all that way – 2511km – I may as well use it to raise money for a charity.’

So, at the end of August, she pedalled away from the beautiful Cape Reinga and just over a month later cycled into Bluff. Averaging 70km a day, Jude only took two rest days over the extended month.

Jude is no stranger to cycle touring. As well as most of the NZ Cycle Trails, she already had the Camino de Santiago and bike trails in Vietnam and the Netherlands under her belt.

From north to south, Jude raised a whopping $9174.

AUCKLAND MARATHON

Diabetes Youth Auckland made their mark at the Barfoot and Thompson Auckland Marathon on the last Sunday of October. Raising money for children living with type 1, they blew their target of 5k by raising a total of $7726.50.

Despite getting drenched in the continual Auckland rain, these fantastic people ran various distances, with one person completing the full marathon, several finishing the half, and the rest spread over the still-impressive 11 and 5km stretches.

1. Zoey & Richard Currie pose with batman.

2. Maria and daughter Lucy (T1) testing.

3. Shantelle Bliss with kids Larissa and Ashton.

4. Callum McCulloch.

5. Preston (T1) and Seron Stanley.

6. Katrina Collinson with kids Katie (T1) & Leo

TAURANGA HALF MARATHON

’Twas the season to be running! Aucklander Ricky Dragland took up the challenge and ran the Tauranga Half Marathon in mid-September. He says he was diagnosed with pre-diabetes at the start of last year and was on his way to becoming type 2. ‘At first, I was in denial about it, then I decided to do something about it.’ He says he started off making small changes by walking his dog, then he set himself the challenge to run one kilometre continuously. That one kilometre turned into five, then 10, then Ricky found himself signing up to do the half marathon at 21.1km. Due to his lifestyle changes, Ricky lost 22kgs. ‘I have started on the journey to reversing my pre-diabetes.’ Well done, Ricky, and thank you for your $1000 fundraising effort.