James Murray
Three ultra marathon runners will pound the highways and byways of Grand Cayman in November to raise money for the Cayman Islands Diabetes Association.
In August, local resident James Murray launched the plan called A Crazy Idea to run 100 miles around the Island on 26 November and invited beginner runners and walkers to start training for a half marathon that will be held the week after the 100-mile run.
Since then, he says plenty of “crazies” have come forward to train for the 13-mile run as part of the annual Cayman Islands Marathon on Sunday, 4 December.
Some have been writing blogs about their experience and others have signed up to run with the Wednesday Night Running Club.
Lisa Smith-Batchen and Gerry Martinez will fly in from the United States to join Murray on his 26 November run, which he says will take the fleet-footed trio through all the districts of Grand Cayman.
He decided to donate funds raised during the run to the Cayman Islands Diabetes Association because several people in his own office at Intertrust, which is sponsoring this year’s marathon, had the disease. He wanted to also raise the profile of the marathon and help the community at the same time, he says.
The first three miles of the three runners’ epic on-foot journey will be part of the Cayman Islands Diabetes Association Fun Run which starts from Camana Bay.
Diabetes Month
November is Diabetes Month and in Cayman there are plenty of events throughout the month to ensure a raised awareness of the disease at which people can have a blast at the same time.
The Cayman Islands Diabetes Charitable Trust is holding a fundraiser that will see supporters getting both their wallets and their paddles out when it hosts its first stand-up paddleboard event.
It will be held on Saturday, 5 November and will involve a three-mile paddle from Public Beach on Seven Mile Beach to Royal Palms and back.
Organisers said they expected more than 40 paddleboarders to take part.
There is a registration fee of $25 for people with their own paddle boards or $35 fee for those who wish to hire a paddleboard for the event. After the official paddle is over, spectators can try out the sport, which is growing in popularity in Cayman, for a $5 donation.
The Trust, in association with the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens, is also holding an event for children and teens with diabetes, with registered nurse Andrea Hunt, who is a certified diabetes educator at Cayman Pharmacy Group and the Diabetes Education Centre at The Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital, serving as facilitator for the event during November.
The Trust is also launching a telehealth initiative in George Town, along with its strategic partners, the Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital and the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Miami. The object of the initiative is to enhance expert care and reinforce peace of mind for both patients and their loved ones.
“This initiative will allow remote access to Professor Meneghini, Professor of Clinical Medicine and telehealth advocate, to inform you about your condition and plan of care, involve your family and answer any questions they may have, and collaborate with your primary care doctor and nurses. The telehealth installation test will be recorded live and published on YouTube,” explained Christina Rowlandson of the Trust.
On World Diabetes Day, 14 November, there will be a jazz night of “fun, music and a Dutch Auction” to support the Cayman Islands Diabetes Association, at the Roof Top on Mary Street in George Town.
November also sees another fundraiser for the Diabetes Association in the form a 100-mile run around Grand Cayman by a team of three ultra runners.
Symptoms
High blood sugar levels can cause several symptoms, including:
Blurry vision
Excess thirst
Fatigue
Frequent urination
Hunger
Weight loss
Because Type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar
have no symptoms.
Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes develop over a short period of time. People may be v
ery sick by the time they are diagnosed.
Treatment
There is no cure for diabetes. Treatment involves medicines, diet, and exercise to control blood sugar and prevent symptoms and problems.