Huron Expositor, 2009-02-04, Page 241
Page 24 The Huron Expositor • February 4,2009
•
News
Long-time friends finish 42 -km marathon
together and raise $10 000 for diabetes
Dan Schwab
Growing up in Seaforth, Sarah
Noakes, 28, and Andrea Longstaff,
27, have shared many experiences
together since they first became
friends in kindergarten.
Recently, they completed the
most challenging phys-
ical event of their lives
— a 42 -kilometre mara-
thon in support of the
Canadian Diabetes As-
sociation.
They crossed the fin-
ish line of the Honolulu.
Marathon Dec. 14 with
sore knees, bloody feet
and a renewed belief
that anything is pos-
sible.
Now, they're asking
people in the commu-
nity to take up another
challenge and make a
donation to their diabe-
tes fundraising campaign.
Th enter the marathon, Noakes
and Longstaff were asked to raise
$12,400 for the cause.
Starting in May, the women
made personal appeals to friends
and family, held raffles, a family
skating event, and sold chocolates
and stuffed lions from the Vanas-
tra Lions Club.
So far, they've raised $10,000.
Noakes, a former teacher at St.
James School who now lives and
teaches in Stratford, has diabetes
and says part of the reason she
wanted to run in the
marathon was for
•
•
'educational purpos-
es.
As a teacher, she
is seeing a disturb-
ing trend in younger
children who are
getting the disease
mostly due to inac-
tivity.
It's something that
wasn't happening
generations ago, she
• says.
"There's more than
two million people in
Canada with diabe-
tes today," she says. "By 2010, it's
expected to reach three million."
Noakes and Longstaff started
physically training for the event
in May, working out regularly at
the gym.
After raising enough money to
cover their registration fee and
Dan Schwab photo
Sarah Noakes and Andreallongstaff recently completed a 42 kilometre mara-
thon for diabetes awareness. The women are hoping to raise another $2,400,
partly by selling the stuffed lions they're holding In the photo above.
some of the travel costs, they flew
to Hawaii, where they stayed for a
week.
On the day of the race, they as-
sembled at the
starting line at
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"You'd do anything to get your
mind off it because it got so pain-
ful after a while," she says. "It was
the hardest thing I've ever done in
430 a.m., with my life. It raises the bar for what
fireworks sig- we can accomplish now."
• naling the start She says local people would
of the run. show their support by walking
Rain fell for along with them, patting them on
the first two the backs and telling them they're
hours, as No- almost at the finish line.
akes and Long- After 26 miles and five hours
staff joined 55 and 28 minutes, Longstaff made
other members it to the end.
of Team Dia- Noakes followed with a time of
• betes Canada, six hours and 40 minutes.
running among "Crossing the finish line was
a massive sea very emotional," Noakes says.
of 21,000 people "It wasn't just for u§, it was for
from across the the two million people in Canada
world. with diabetes," Longstaff adds.
Eventually With $2,400 more to raise, No -
Noakes and akes and Longstaff are selling
Longstaff were stuffed lions with bracelets made
split up, running by Artech Signs & Graphics in
and walking in Seaforth, with chocolates for $20.
the humid, Ha- The items come wrapped for Val-
waiian after- entine's Day with a greeting card
noon for hours. included.
Longstaff, lb donate, call Noakes at .519 -
who . lives in 301-7780 or Longstaff at 519-522-
Seaforth, says 0280.
before the end of Donations of $15 or more are tax
the race she be- deductible.
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