Petronella Peach - One Unstoppable Woman!
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Now living in Salmon Arm BC and 67 years old, her energy is amazing to most people, including those half her age. In October, Nel completed a half-marathon in Kelowna, and then began training for her second full marathon, which is happening at Disneyworld in 2008. "When you train for a full marathon, you don't have to do the full length, 42 kilometres, until the day of the marathon. If you have reached 32 kilometres in your training, you most likely will do the 42".
Nel is running for Chantal and Mary
Nel does the races as part of Team Diabetes Canada. Team participants walk or run in world-class marathon events across Canada and throughout the world. They also work to increase public awareness of diabetes, and they inspire their communities to get active and involved. They create lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, while raising funds in support of the research, education, advocacy and programming that the Canadian Diabetes Association delivers in communities across Canada.
Every run involves fundraising from her own community in order to participate in the race. She started in 2003, raising $ 6200 as part of Team Diabetes in a 10km race in Hawaii, and so far in all races has raised over $ 30,000 for the Canadian Diabetes Association. She insists that she shouldn't be thought of as a marathoner, as she walks much of the race lengths, but as a fundraiser.
Nel's first full marathon as part of Team Diabetes was in Rome in 2006. She wasn't intending to do another marathon after her first. "I remember being quite elated that I was capable of doing such a thing. The previous day, because of tendonitis I thought I would not be capable of doing it, but I thought, 'no I am going to push through'. And I did. So I was just on cloud nine, especially when I came through there upright and smiling. But I was really aching by the end of the Rome marathon, and said 'never again'. But then I learned about Mary and Chantal ... and I said, 'oh, yes you will'.
The two women from BC's interior died from diabetes-related complications. Nel will do the Disney Marathon in memory of Mary and Chantal ... "because I can".
