Two women ride cross country for diabetes
PICAYUNE — A trip across country can be a daunting task, especially when the only mode of transportation is a bicycle.
However, two Florida women, 24 year-old Gaby Johnson and 29 year-old Tameka Collins, have undertaken that task to raise awareness of diabetes, obesity and the public need for exercise and healthy eating.
Johnson and Collins passed through Picayune this weekend on their way to Louisiana. They began their journey on July 7, and have been on the road for about a month and a half. So far they have traveled more than 1,300 miles. Their destination is Seattle Washington and they expect to arrive there sometime in November.
The women got the idea to undertake this task while watching the Ironman Competition. At first they thought they would attempt to walk or run the distance from Florida to Washington, but eventually decided on bicycles. The decision to start the ride was inspired by both women suffering deaths in their family that may have been avoided with lifestyle changes.
While promoting healthy lifestyles is their primary goal, they also hope to educate the youth on the power of desire, effort, attitude and determination. They hope to steer the American public away from the standard American diet as part of their primary goal, a diet which consists largely of processed or fatty foods, and instead to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods.
When they started out on their trip, they were traveling about 80 miles a day. Hilly areas, which are a change of pace from Florida’s flat landscape, hindered their progress, pushing the daily distance traveled back to 30 to 40 miles. However, their determination, and the extra exercise, has them back up to pedaling between 50 and 80 miles a day.
As they travel the country, they are collecting donations for the Diabetes Foundation. Anyone interested in donating to their cause or simply keeping up with their progress can visit their blog at http://rawroamers.blogspot.com/.
However, two Florida women, 24 year-old Gaby Johnson and 29 year-old Tameka Collins, have undertaken that task to raise awareness of diabetes, obesity and the public need for exercise and healthy eating.
Johnson and Collins passed through Picayune this weekend on their way to Louisiana. They began their journey on July 7, and have been on the road for about a month and a half. So far they have traveled more than 1,300 miles. Their destination is Seattle Washington and they expect to arrive there sometime in November.
The women got the idea to undertake this task while watching the Ironman Competition. At first they thought they would attempt to walk or run the distance from Florida to Washington, but eventually decided on bicycles. The decision to start the ride was inspired by both women suffering deaths in their family that may have been avoided with lifestyle changes.
While promoting healthy lifestyles is their primary goal, they also hope to educate the youth on the power of desire, effort, attitude and determination. They hope to steer the American public away from the standard American diet as part of their primary goal, a diet which consists largely of processed or fatty foods, and instead to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods.
When they started out on their trip, they were traveling about 80 miles a day. Hilly areas, which are a change of pace from Florida’s flat landscape, hindered their progress, pushing the daily distance traveled back to 30 to 40 miles. However, their determination, and the extra exercise, has them back up to pedaling between 50 and 80 miles a day.
As they travel the country, they are collecting donations for the Diabetes Foundation. Anyone interested in donating to their cause or simply keeping up with their progress can visit their blog at http://rawroamers.blogspot.com/.
To see the entire story / http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1857720452/Two-women-ride-cross-country-for-diabetes
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