Nathan Weaver was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) 34 years ago, and after an event he had spent almost two years training for was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, he decided to partake in One Walk.
Known for his active lifestyle, often competing in ultramarathons, Nathan saw a silver lining in the cancellation of the 200km Sydney marathon-event.
“I didn’t want to waste (the training I’d done) so I saw that chance to do One Walk,” Nathan said.
Never before participating in One Walk, he thought he’d “be lucky” to fundraise at least $500 for vital JDRF research, as he set a goal to start “the biggest training session ever”.
With an aim to complete 20 sets of 10km repetitions (totalling to 200km) throughout October, his progress has already exceeded any expectation he could’ve imagined.
Almost doubling his fundraising goal, Nathan has personally profited from One Walk in other areas.
“(Having type 1 diabetes) is kind of something I keep to myself,” Nathan said.
“T1D is far from easy, there are many daily challenges that can be so annoying… but this time I saw an opportunity to raise awareness around my group of friends, which it really has".
On top of it all, Nathan knows advancements for those with T1D “all stem from research”, as he continues to outshine his original One Walk goal – now with the sky as his limit.
“(JDRF) research is an important part of the diabetes community… there has definitely been lots of advancements that research has contributed to, like the insulin pump – that’s pretty revolutionary and it does help with (T1D management),” Nathan said.
If Nathan's story has inspired you to put your foot on the accelerator as you head into the final 10 days of the One Walk Step Challenge, check out our Memory Jogger for a useful refresher on who you can ask to support your efforts.
