The Kokoda information session in April is designed to give people weighing up whether they should come on the trip all the information they need to make a final decision, so what better way of learning more, than asking a man who leaves for the track himself four days later?
The information session, on April 12 at 20 Handley Avenue, Thornleigh at 1230, already has a special guest speaker talking about his successful campaign to Kokoda, but now he will be joined by a man who will be taking off for Kokoda on April 16 - Richard Laing will be on hand to answer any questions people may have regarding what to expect.
If the challenge of the Kokoda trek is something that tickles your fancy, come and have a sausage sandwich, read the comprehensive information sheet, listen to Jason Clarke tell the story of his successful campaign to Kokoda, and ask Richard Laing any questions you have before he stands on Isuarava on ANZAC day.
If you are coming along, please email me at barnaby@barnabyhowarth.com.au and I look forward to seeing you then.
Wednesday 25 February 2015
Monday 23 February 2015
177-The perfect diabetes message
When I was diagnosed with diabetes at 14, the message I wanted to hear was that the life I was living right now was good enough, and on Saturday night at the Diabetes NSW "Live your Life" ball I heard it.
I sometimes feel as though society is trying to tell us that unless we win whatever we are doing, we are a failure - unless we get 100% in our high school exams, graduate with honors from university, make the first grade team at our sports club or get that promotion at work, we're not good enough and we've let ourselves down - but after the compliments guests showered on my wife & I after I closed my keynote speech at the Live your Life ball by telling people "there's no rhyme or reason to what happens to us in life; good things happen to bad people & bad things happen to good people, but I hope tonight helps you feel proud of the life you're living RIGHT NOW," I feel reassured that people are proud to be living a "normal" life - they just need to be reminded.
After acknowledging a standing ovation by 2 time Walkley Award winning ABC journalist Andrew Geoghegan, and apologising to former Australian Rugby League fullback Garry Jack for keeping my clothes on during the speech (there IS a story behind that that makes it not weird), CEO of Diabetes NSW, Sturt Eastwood was the first person to come to my table to offer a congratulations - Sturt introduced me to some of the event's corporate sponsors who were touched by my speech and snapped up a business card - I was then pulled away by a former depression sufferer who told me my message was exactly what he wanted to hear - he told me he was proud of his "normal" life, and told me had had the "best wife in the world," but I had to burst his bubble and tell him his wife was the second best! I spoke to friends of former Swans team mates, swapped business cards with CEO's, tried to encourage other diabetics to join my wife & I on Kokoda in October, talked to other diabetics about their impending climb up Everest, their netball careers, and lamented our future BSL readings after the pavlova we had for dessert.
All in all, the best part of the Live your Life ball was the fact that everybody in the room was proudly doing the exact same thing - they were just living their life.
I sometimes feel as though society is trying to tell us that unless we win whatever we are doing, we are a failure - unless we get 100% in our high school exams, graduate with honors from university, make the first grade team at our sports club or get that promotion at work, we're not good enough and we've let ourselves down - but after the compliments guests showered on my wife & I after I closed my keynote speech at the Live your Life ball by telling people "there's no rhyme or reason to what happens to us in life; good things happen to bad people & bad things happen to good people, but I hope tonight helps you feel proud of the life you're living RIGHT NOW," I feel reassured that people are proud to be living a "normal" life - they just need to be reminded.
After acknowledging a standing ovation by 2 time Walkley Award winning ABC journalist Andrew Geoghegan, and apologising to former Australian Rugby League fullback Garry Jack for keeping my clothes on during the speech (there IS a story behind that that makes it not weird), CEO of Diabetes NSW, Sturt Eastwood was the first person to come to my table to offer a congratulations - Sturt introduced me to some of the event's corporate sponsors who were touched by my speech and snapped up a business card - I was then pulled away by a former depression sufferer who told me my message was exactly what he wanted to hear - he told me he was proud of his "normal" life, and told me had had the "best wife in the world," but I had to burst his bubble and tell him his wife was the second best! I spoke to friends of former Swans team mates, swapped business cards with CEO's, tried to encourage other diabetics to join my wife & I on Kokoda in October, talked to other diabetics about their impending climb up Everest, their netball careers, and lamented our future BSL readings after the pavlova we had for dessert.
All in all, the best part of the Live your Life ball was the fact that everybody in the room was proudly doing the exact same thing - they were just living their life.
Thursday 19 February 2015
176-Barnaby Howarth speaking to the MBN in Echuca
Fresh off the back of his keynote address at the Diabetes NSW ball, Barnaby will be speaking to the Murray Business Network in Echuca on March 5, letting them know that being an everyday Joe Sack O'Rolls is something to be proud of.
The Howarth's (Barnaby & Angela) will be having a long weekend on the Murray River - having a coffee at a local cafe, visiting a merino farm, and visiting an antique clothing display in the Kyabram town hall - all while filming leg 3 of their round the world honeymoon documentary.
Barnaby's message that as long as you're giving 100% to the task in front of you, living a "normal" life is something to be proud of, is reassuring audiences that the life they're living is more than ok. He will be making people at the MBN dinner at The Rich River Golf Club come away feeling comfortable that the path they're walking is the right one.
175-Bunnings BBQ boosts Ride to Conquer Cancer funds
The surge of momentum of our cycling team for the Ride to Conquer Cancer continued last weekend at our fundraising BBQ at Marsden Park Bunnings.
Angela & I are part of the number 1 fundraising team in Australia, Quick Nicks. In their RTCC debut in 2012, Quick Nicks had 5 riders, and raised $21185 - this year, with our 26 riders, we have raised $20,712.63 (who donated 63 cents??). The team started with 8 people - it now has 26, and given the event isn't until October, and with plenty more fundraising events lined up by our team captain, we are well placed to reach our team goal of $100,000.
If you couldn't make it to Marsden Park Bunnings on the weekend, but would like to contribute to Quick Nicks' fundraising efforts, the link below will take you to my wife's fundraising page where you can donate any amount you like (even 63 cents if you want).
Thanks to everybody who donated, cooked, served, sponsored, or just bought a sausage sandwich at Bunnings, there are more Bunnings BBQ's coming up, but if you don't know if you'll make it, please donate to Angela's ride by copying and pasting the link below into your web browser...
http://sy15.conquercancer.org.au/site/TR/Events/Sydney2015?px=1524052&pg=personal&fr_id=1220
Angela & I are part of the number 1 fundraising team in Australia, Quick Nicks. In their RTCC debut in 2012, Quick Nicks had 5 riders, and raised $21185 - this year, with our 26 riders, we have raised $20,712.63 (who donated 63 cents??). The team started with 8 people - it now has 26, and given the event isn't until October, and with plenty more fundraising events lined up by our team captain, we are well placed to reach our team goal of $100,000.
If you couldn't make it to Marsden Park Bunnings on the weekend, but would like to contribute to Quick Nicks' fundraising efforts, the link below will take you to my wife's fundraising page where you can donate any amount you like (even 63 cents if you want).
Thanks to everybody who donated, cooked, served, sponsored, or just bought a sausage sandwich at Bunnings, there are more Bunnings BBQ's coming up, but if you don't know if you'll make it, please donate to Angela's ride by copying and pasting the link below into your web browser...
http://sy15.conquercancer.org.au/site/TR/Events/Sydney2015?px=1524052&pg=personal&fr_id=1220
Wednesday 18 February 2015
174-Diabetic slap in the face
The first thing I remember about this morning was being on then phone to my Dad and hearing him saying "put Angela on the phone, you're having a hypo!"
It was 10 o'clock and work had tried and failed to get me on the phone, Angela had left early to go to Quakers Hill to help her builder put a deck up, and as the reality of my situation sunk in the longer I talked to Dad, the more serious diabetes became, and the more I realised that I'm not an endocrinologist and shouldn't adjust my insulin rates on my own.
My sugar level had dropped through the night due to my own basal adjustments (insulin infusion) and when I finally started making sense of things, I tested my sugar level and it was 2.6 (normal range is between 3.5 & 8). I had slipped into a mild coma, and thankfully Dad got me on the phone before things got dire - I got up and had some breakfast, rang work (who had arranged it so I could take the day off-good people!), rang my endocrinologist and adjusted my basal rates over the phone (my endocrinologist has officially retired, but when I told him this was an emergency - he dropped everything to look after me - good person), and went to a cafe & had a coffee.
I've been taking diabetes with a grain of salt and been pretty blasé given it's standing in the pecking order of things I have to worry about at the moment, but diabetes is responsible for most of the health related dramas my wife & I have gone through over the last few months, so I'm going to leave the tinkering of rates to the people who went to university specifically to avoid what I did this morning, but while they're doing their thing, I've still got a life to live, so I'm going to keep getting on with it.
It was 10 o'clock and work had tried and failed to get me on the phone, Angela had left early to go to Quakers Hill to help her builder put a deck up, and as the reality of my situation sunk in the longer I talked to Dad, the more serious diabetes became, and the more I realised that I'm not an endocrinologist and shouldn't adjust my insulin rates on my own.
My sugar level had dropped through the night due to my own basal adjustments (insulin infusion) and when I finally started making sense of things, I tested my sugar level and it was 2.6 (normal range is between 3.5 & 8). I had slipped into a mild coma, and thankfully Dad got me on the phone before things got dire - I got up and had some breakfast, rang work (who had arranged it so I could take the day off-good people!), rang my endocrinologist and adjusted my basal rates over the phone (my endocrinologist has officially retired, but when I told him this was an emergency - he dropped everything to look after me - good person), and went to a cafe & had a coffee.
I've been taking diabetes with a grain of salt and been pretty blasé given it's standing in the pecking order of things I have to worry about at the moment, but diabetes is responsible for most of the health related dramas my wife & I have gone through over the last few months, so I'm going to leave the tinkering of rates to the people who went to university specifically to avoid what I did this morning, but while they're doing their thing, I've still got a life to live, so I'm going to keep getting on with it.
Friday 13 February 2015
173-Celebrating good people in Echuca
My wife and I are about to head off on leg 3 of our round the world honeymoon, and this time we're off to Echuca in Victoria where we will be filming a documentary about the good people in our lives.
This trip came about through one of the good families in our lives - the Byrnes'. An ex Pennant Hills AFL team mate, Greg, booked me in to give a talk to the Murray Business Network at the Rich River Golf Club next month, so Angela and I decided to turn it into a long weekend getaway as a part of our growing honeymoon.
Organising the trip has allowed more good people into our lives - Tegan Mills from the MBN had most of this trip organised before Christmas, Greg & Sarah Byrne are hosting Angela & I for the weekend, Marg has booked flights & cars, and has said that we can come & check out her sheep & cropping farm, Ron from emmylou.com.au is looking into a paddlesteamer trip for us, and Rhonda from River's Edge apartment was still helping us out after our "official business" was finalised.
Angela and I are surrounded by good people who make our lives brighter everyday, and we are looking forward to more of them coming into our lives in Echuca.
This trip came about through one of the good families in our lives - the Byrnes'. An ex Pennant Hills AFL team mate, Greg, booked me in to give a talk to the Murray Business Network at the Rich River Golf Club next month, so Angela and I decided to turn it into a long weekend getaway as a part of our growing honeymoon.
Organising the trip has allowed more good people into our lives - Tegan Mills from the MBN had most of this trip organised before Christmas, Greg & Sarah Byrne are hosting Angela & I for the weekend, Marg has booked flights & cars, and has said that we can come & check out her sheep & cropping farm, Ron from emmylou.com.au is looking into a paddlesteamer trip for us, and Rhonda from River's Edge apartment was still helping us out after our "official business" was finalised.
Angela and I are surrounded by good people who make our lives brighter everyday, and we are looking forward to more of them coming into our lives in Echuca.
172-Get yourself ready for a challenge: Kokoda info session April 12
If you want to challenge yourself in a society where almost everything you need is less than an hours drive away, come and do it tough on the Kokoda trail this October. And if you want to find out all the details of the trip, come to Thornleigh on April 12 where I will be giving you all the information you need, and there will be a speech by a man who has completed Kokoda, and will be on hand to answer any questions.
Kokoda is going to be really hard - narrow paths, steep hills & river crossings across slippery logs, but coming to this information session is going to be easy, just turn up to 20 Handley Avenue, Thornleigh at 1230 on April 12, have a sausage sandwich, read the comprehensive info sheet, listen to Jason Clarke tell the story of his successful campaign to Kokoda, and then ask any questions you need to help you make a decision.
If you have already booked your spot, there will be some valuable information on what you need to do now to get ready for the trip, or if you'd like to have booked your spot before the information session, email Kokoda Spirit (enquire@kokodaspirit.
Challenges aren't easy to come by in today's society, previous generations would say that most of us have it easy, but if you want to put yourself on the hard road for a few days, come and join us on Kokoda.
Kokoda is going to be really hard - narrow paths, steep hills & river crossings across slippery logs, but coming to this information session is going to be easy, just turn up to 20 Handley Avenue, Thornleigh at 1230 on April 12, have a sausage sandwich, read the comprehensive info sheet, listen to Jason Clarke tell the story of his successful campaign to Kokoda, and then ask any questions you need to help you make a decision.
If you have already booked your spot, there will be some valuable information on what you need to do now to get ready for the trip, or if you'd like to have booked your spot before the information session, email Kokoda Spirit (enquire@kokodaspirit.
Challenges aren't easy to come by in today's society, previous generations would say that most of us have it easy, but if you want to put yourself on the hard road for a few days, come and join us on Kokoda.
Sunday 1 February 2015
171-How my wife inspires me
My wife Angela told me last year that she doesn't want to be referred to as an inspiration, so I won't be doing that in this blog, I'm just going to tell you about the bike ride we just got back from around Centennial Park.
When our friends Mary and Ramy asked us to do the Ride to Conquer Cancer in October, her biggest concern was that she wasn't fit enough. Rather than decline the invitation to join though, she signed up, bought a new bike and got training.
On a training ride around centennial park this afternoon, we had finished our ride and were heading home and we came to a huge hill. Naturally I powered up leaving Ange eating dust, but she kept on peddling, battling her way towards the top, but halfway up she hopped off and started walking the bike. I thought that was fair enough as it was a solid hill, but what she did next is what inspired me (note I didn't call your an inspiration Ange?). she jumped back on her bike and made her way to the top, and as she rode past where I was waiting for her she said
"Come on, let's keep going. "
My wife inspired me because she wasn't sure she could do something, but she decided to give it a crack anyway. She may not be the fittest rider come October, she may not be the fastest or have the best bike, but she's doing it and she inspires me.
When our friends Mary and Ramy asked us to do the Ride to Conquer Cancer in October, her biggest concern was that she wasn't fit enough. Rather than decline the invitation to join though, she signed up, bought a new bike and got training.
On a training ride around centennial park this afternoon, we had finished our ride and were heading home and we came to a huge hill. Naturally I powered up leaving Ange eating dust, but she kept on peddling, battling her way towards the top, but halfway up she hopped off and started walking the bike. I thought that was fair enough as it was a solid hill, but what she did next is what inspired me (note I didn't call your an inspiration Ange?). she jumped back on her bike and made her way to the top, and as she rode past where I was waiting for her she said
"Come on, let's keep going. "
My wife inspired me because she wasn't sure she could do something, but she decided to give it a crack anyway. She may not be the fittest rider come October, she may not be the fastest or have the best bike, but she's doing it and she inspires me.
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