A Swift Current woman is honouring past and present family members in the fight against diabetes.

Diabetes rates continuing to rise in Saskatchewan, with an increase of approximately 3000 diagnoses projected for the upcoming year.

The Canadian Diabetes Association is also estimating that the rate of people living with diabetes will increase by 35% within the next decade.

Miranda Woodrow lost her sister approximately one year ago to diabetes. Both her father and brother currently suffer from Type 1 of the metabolic disease as well.

Witnessing the effects diabetes can have has led Woodrow down her current fundraising path.

"I took my mom and my sister's kids to Niagara Falls and we ran a half marathon there," she told Swift Current Online Friday morning. "Thanks to all the support of everybody here in the southwest, we raised so much money that I was able to go to Disney World with my fundraising with Team Diabetes Canada."

Woodrow recently traveled to Walt Disney World in early January to compete in a full marathon to raise money for the Canadian Diabetes Association.

"It was a really long race and I didn't tell anybody I was going to do the full marathon because I didn't want to disappoint them if I didn't make it," she said Friday morning. "It kept me going know that I'm doing this for my family members who struggle every single day."

Woodrow went on to say running a seven-hour marathon is nothing compared to what people with diabetes have to deal with every day.

Full Marathon Medal

She was also able to cross something off her bucket list while completing the race in Florida.

"It's been a huge dream of mine to run the race, so it meant the world to me to be able to run in it. My family is super proud of everything that we've (as a family) done so far (in the fight against diabetes). Just our family has raised over $6,000 so far," Woodrow said.

The 23 members of Team Diabetes Canada that competed in the 2017 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend raised a total of $110,000.

Woodrow will continue to raise funds for the Canadian Diabetes Association and is currently planning a 2018 Team Diabetes Canada event.

 

Miranda Woodrow holding her full and half marathon medals