FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORREST BEATS DIABETES TO CHASE OLYMPIC DREAM
Australian international marathon runner Shawn Forrest is on a mission at
this year's London Marathon – to prove anything is possible for type-one
diabetes sufferers.
The 32-year-old believes he will become the first man with type one
diabetes to line up in the elite section of a major city marathon when he
runs the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday (24 April).
When he does, his mind will be taken back to the moment 18 months ago when
he nearly slipped into a coma because his blood glucose levels were
dangerously low.
Blurry eyed, tired and with an unquenchable thirst, Forrest had wondered
what was wrong with him.
Just a year earlier he had competed for Australia in the marathon at the
World Championships. Though he knew something wasn't quite right, he didn't
think for one second it was diabetes. He was, after all, an elite and very
fit distance runner.
"Looking back now the symptoms were there," said Forrest. "I just didn't
know that a professional athlete could get it. But my vision was getting
very, very bad, I was drinking a lot and having to go to the toilet a lot.
I was getting really tired, too. But as an athlete, if you get to the end
of the week and don't feel tired, you feel like you are doing something
wrong.
"I kept telling myself I would be OK but when I eventually did go to the
doctor, they found my blood glucose levels were so low that I was that
close to slipping into a coma It was basically running that was keeping me
alive. I was running 100 miles a week and then because of niggling
injuries, I dropped down to 30 miles and that's when it hit me bad."
Forrest's life changed the moment he was diagnosed. From being an athlete
solely focused on running faster, winning medals and representing his
country, he now has a different motivation.
"My life changed instantly," he said. "As soon as I read up about the
disease, I looked at it in a positive way and realised that as well as
running fast and representing Australia, I could now aim to help others
with type-one diabetes.
"A lot of people don't understand the disease and think that you can't
continue training or continue being the person you were before, but I want
to show people it is manageable and running actually helps.
"I feel like I'm not just running for me anymore, I want to be an
inspiration and to get other type-one diabetes sufferers out there and
running.
"Running is a pure sport. All you need is a pair of shoes and that's it.
You don't need a lot of money and it's a great way to manage diabetes.
"I truly believe that I was chosen by this disease. It is my motivation to
show people that you can manage it and for children with type-one to look
up to me."
Forrest, who is coached by former London Marathon winner Steve Jones in
Boulder, Colorado, has not given up on his other dreams too, of running
faster and representing his country again.
His personal best marathon time of 2:14:36 was set in Houston in 2012 and
he believes he can attack that figure in London this weekend as he tries to
win a place at this summer's Olympic Games in Rio.
"Training has gone well," said Forrest, who will be running his first
marathon since being diagnosed a diabetic. "There have been a few ups and
downs but with diabetes that is to be expected.
"There's nothing like racing and I just can't wait to go out there and run.
I have always wanted to run the London Marathon and why couldn't I make
that Olympic team? I believe anything is possible."
Forrest was inspired to become an elite athlete when, aged 16, he was
chosen to be a kit carrier at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and carried Haile
Gebrselassie's basket before the Ethiopian legend's epic 10,000m duel with
Kenyan rival Paul Tergat.
###
|
