181-Diabetic stroke survivor to do Kokoda with breast cancer suffering wife

Type 1 diabetic and stroke survivor, Barnaby Howarth will be walking the Kokoda Track with his wife & breast cancer sufferer, Angela Guirguis-Howarth, in October to prove to himself that his struggles don't have to stop him living a normal life.

Barnaby, a NON-DIABETES RELATED stroke survivor, former AFL footballer for the Sydney Swans, author, film maker, Mount Kilimanjaro conqueror and motivational speaker is hoping to give himself something he's yearned for since he was diagnosed with diabetes at 14 - proof that a normal life IS good enough.

They will be using their trip to raise funds to help find a cure for what they've gone through - money raised will go to The National Stroke Foundation, the Cancer Council of Australia, and an Australian diabetes charity.


To follow Barnaby & Angela's story, read their blog at:

http://barnabyhowarth.blogspot.com.au/

Thoughts on Kokoda by Barnaby Howarth

After I had a stroke in 2005, I didn't need to be told I could be an Olympian, or a Prime Minister, or a Hollywood actor, I didn't want any of those things, I just wanted to be told that being an everyday Joe Sack O'Rolls was good enough, but there was no one out there celebrating a "normal" life, so I'm going to have to do it myself.

When I played a season in the AFL with the Sydney Swans in 1998, I thought I'd beaten adversity, but then I was bashed in an alcohol-fueled gang attack and had a stroke, and I found myself back at square one. I never wanted to turn my life around, I just wanted to get back to living the life I wanted to live, and I've always wanted to do Kokoda, so that's what I'm going to do. I will be taking on this challenge the same way anybody else would - nobody holding my hand, no doctor looking over my shoulder, no cotton wool to be wrapped in - I will be struggling my way along like everyone else, 

This is by no means a diabetics or stroke survivors only trip - it is for anybody who wants to inject some adventure into their lives, some people on this trip will have challenges and some won't. Joining me on Kokoda will be my wife, my sister-in-law, and an old football team mate. We will all be travelling with "Kokoda Spirit" – the group who took wheelchair athlete Kurt Fearnley on his crawl of the track. 

Kokoda Spirit recommend a 3 month training program to prepare for the trip, so if you'd like to take on this challenge, signing up by mid-July should give you plenty of time to prepare. If you are interested in joining us, email me at barnaby@barnabyhowarth@com.au and I will let you know everything you need to know.

 If you would like to follow our story, just follow  this blog.