MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / July 31, 1999

LAPLACE – Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of Americans. Itdoes not discriminate, affecting the young and the old alike. The majorityof Americans know at least one person who suffers from the disease.

That was true for one LaPlace native. And for Dawn Streeck, it was inhonor of a friend of hers with diabetes that she undertook what she said was one of the biggest challenges of her life – running the 26.2-mile MauiMarathon.

Streeck, who had not run in a marathon before, got involved in the project when her husband, Rob, the athletic director at Elmwood Fitness Center, was called to train the regional Team Diabetes of the American Diabetes Association for the Maui Marathon. Streeck was just going to follow Rob inMaui but he challenged her to run in the marathon as well.

Streeck and the team started practicing about six months before the race, running three days a week for about 10 to 18 miles. Every week they wouldpick up the number of miles they ran until the final weeks when they were running 35 to 40 miles, mostly on Saturday mornings.

“We ran in the rain,” Streeck recalls. “Not much stopped us.”Team Diabetes also sent information on what clothes and shoes the participants should wear and what foods they should eat. Every couple ofweeks, team members would meet with either an athletic trainer or dietician.

While practicing, team members would support each other and it was this support that Streeck said kept her going.

“You have to have team support for something like this,” Streeck said. “Itis definitely a team effort.”Streeck and the team also raised money for the Diabetes Association.

River Parishes Hospital, where Streeck is a surgical technician, local attorneys, Hibernia Bank and others supported her as she reached her goal of raising $3,000. Team Diabetes raised $600,000 for the associationwhich uses the money for education, advocacy and research. In Louisiana,the American Diabetes Association sponsors summer camp with diabetes.

“It felt good knowing you were raising money to send kids to camp to be around other children like them,” Streeck said. “It feels good knowing thatyou can make a difference.”Streeck said it also felt good knowing that she was running in honor of a dear friend of hers, Mamie LeBlanc, who she worked with at Children’s Hospital and who was diagnosed with diabetes last year.

“It doesn’t matter who you are,” Streeck said of the affects of the disease. “It has no preference and it takes away so much. Hopefully, theycan find a cure. That is what I’m hoping for.” Streeck and the regional team of 18 participants arrived in Maui March 19.

She got to meet the mayor of Maui, James “Kimo” Apana, who she said was very down to earth and very friendly.

The marathon began at 5:30 a.m. that Sunday. Streeck said the area wasexperience its coldest spell in nine months which made it good for running. Members of the team were partnered up and Streeck and herpartner, Amy, motivated each other to the finish.

“We encouraged each other,” Streeck said. “We kept each other going. Iwas determined I was going to finish. Even if it took over eight hours (thetime allotment) and I had to run on the side of the road, I was going to finish.”Streeck did indeed finish, crossing the line in seven hours, 28 minutes.

She said there were people along the route, especially near the end, cheering the runners on. Nearly all of the team finished the race as well.”I enjoyed it,” Streeck said. “It was a long day but it was fun. Plus, I wasrunning in Maui. It was one of most challenging things I’ve done but it wasworth it.”Streeck is already making plans to run in the marathon early next summer in Ottawa, Canada. She is planning on putting together a celebrity golftournament in the area to help raise money. The team is also having akickoff party in August to start training for next year.

“I’m really looking forward to the next one,” Streeck said. “I’m ready tostart training again.”

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