The sunny scenery of Lake Wendouree provided the perfect setting for 150 people who have been touched by type 1 diabetes to gather on Sunday in an effort to finally find a cure.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia’s One Walk has operated at locations across Australia for years, Sunday’s lap of the lake was a Ballarat first.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin, so the body can no longer turn glucose into energy.
As well as raising much need funds for research, the event also provided Ballarat diabetes sufferers and their families the opportunity to meet with other people from the region dealing with the condition.
Diabetes educator Belinda Moore said there was a very big misconception about how patients contract type 1 diabetes, which as yet does not have a known cause or cure.
“For so long we’ve always looked into what is type 2 and we’ve focused on the healthy lifestyle things, which doesn’t really apply to type 1,” Ms Moore said.