Student to run marathon in aloha state

Jennifer Campeau has plenty on her plate as a single mother raising a teenage daughter while taking full-time studies in an intensive 12-month Master of Business Administration program at the University of Saskatchewan. Nowadays, she has added marathon running to her already substantial schedule.
"I'm raising money for diabetes and I'm going to be running in a marathon in Hawaii," said the Yellow Quill First Nation band member.
In December of this year, Campeau plans to run in the Honolulu Marathon as part of Team Diabetes, which stages national and international events in order to raise money to battle the disease that is quickly becoming an epidemic among Aboriginal people.
"I wanted to raise awareness of how it is living with diabetes because it's so rampant in our Aboriginal communities," said Campeau, in reference to First Nations, where the rate of diabetes is actually fifty percent higher than the Canadian national average.
Although the healthy benefits of running are a high priority for Campeau, there is a special reason for this endeavor that is near and dear to her heart.
"My dad passed away as a result of the disease, he got heart disease because of the diabetes. So have my maternal grandparents, they passed away and they actually had leg amputations as a result of the diabetes. And my mom got it and so does my sister, and my brother has it as well," said Campeau, who added herself to the list of family members that suffer from the disease.
"I've got type two," said Campeau, adding that she was diagnosed about five years ago. "I was basically overweight and inactive so I had to take a huge amount of medicine just to control it."
Campeau was thirty when she was diagnosed and as she described it, it was a wake-up call. As the primary caregiver for her daughter, she understood that she wanted to see her daughter grow up and retain an active role in her life, and to be around long enough to see any future grandchildren she might have.
For these reasons Campeau decided that she would refuse to give in to the disease and fought the disease so hard that she was able to get off her medication completely.
"The more educated I got, the more I realized that the more active I am and the more I paid attention to my eating habits I was able to control it without the medication so much. But I was actually surprised that I completely got off the medication," she said.
Campeau also engaged in a special diet that she had to stay true to.
"Pretty much no more fried foods. I completely cut sugar out of my diet. I cut out white flour, mostly bread. It's mostly just a lot of protein, vegetables and fruit."
The special diet juxtaposed with a regimen of running led Campeau to a road of recovery and to her next special journey, which Campeau says is 26 miles or 42.2 kilometers.
"For somebody who's experienced (in running marathons) it would probably take three and a half hours but I'll probably take five," said Campeau.
However the message and the goal far outweigh the time it takes Campeau to run a marathon in Hawaii.
When Campeau completes the marathon she hopes to have raised $6,100 that will assist with diabetes research, healthcare, professional education, public education, services and advocacy. More importantly, Campeau's efforts will assist in putting the disease that plagues Canada's Aboriginal people on par with the rest of Canada.
"Right now I have $2, 400," said Campeau.
Although she has no doubt that the needed funds will be raised, finding the time to train for the marathon is a daunting task for Campeau.
"I have a very busy life and I tend to lack a lot of sleep. But I just keep telling myself that I'll be done (my classes) in August and the payoff will be huge," said Campeau.
Among her many reasons for working as hard as she does is the fact that she hails from the Yellow Quill First Nation, which has suffered extensive scrutiny in light of recent tragic events.
"I just want to show people that there are good people from my community. It's a good community. I'd like to put a positive spin on the people out there," she said.
Whether it's training for a marathon, working through her intensive classes, or simply being a mother, Campeau firmly believes that, through hard work anyone can achieve success.
For those who want to learn more about Team Diabetes or to sponsor Jennifer Campeau in her cause, log onto www.teamdiabetes.ca and go to pledge a participant.