Mocc Walk Challenge for diabetes prevention

Talk4Healing coordinator Robin Haliuk and seven other Talk4Healing staff are looking forward to exercising regularly during this year’s Mocc Walk Challenge.
“Talk4Healing has two teams entering this year,” said Haliuk, a Metis woman originally from southern Ontario. “We’re excited to get active and fit and collect points for every 10 minutes of walking. As somebody that has that (family) line of diabetes, that is one way to prevent it and get healthy and have fun with friends.”
Haliuk said the Mocc Walk Challenge, being held by the Ontario Native Women’s Association Aboriginal Diabetes Program from May 1-June 30, will also help motivate her to keep active.
“My team is counting on me and it’s a lot of fun,” Haliuk said. “You get a point for every 10 minutes of walking, so even if it means 10 minutes around the building or whatever the case may be to get in those points, that’s kind of how we’re kind of looking at it.”
Haliuk usually enjoys going for a “good long walk” after her children go to bed in the evening.
“It’s also a good stress reliever and it keeps me healthy,” Haliuk said. “I went last night down to McVicar Creek and the water was nice and high and the dog and I went walking. It was nice and peaceful; closer to nature is always nice.”
The Mocc Walk Challenge was developed to increase awareness about diabetes as well as promote physical activity among Aboriginal people across Ontario.
“We had our best registration last year,” said Robert Fenton, Aboriginal diabetes worker with ONWA. “We had 710 people from across Ontario walking and I’m really hoping we hit the thousand mark this year.”
Fenton said participants have previously walked in a wide range of communities, all the way from Moose Factory to Akwesasne.
“A lot of urban Aboriginal agencies participate too,” Fenton said. “For every 10 minutes of walking you get one point, so you keep track of your points and submit them at the end of the challenge.”
Prizes are awarded to individuals and teams, depending on the number of points raised. The higher the points, the greater chance to win a prize.
“Everybody that participates is acknowledged and they get a certificate of participation,” Fenton said. “They’re quite coveted in the communities.”
People of any age can participate, either as individuals or teams of four, by walking anywhere, such as on a treadmill, outside or at a mall.
“We’re trying to encourage physical activity amongst Aboriginal people and this is one of the easiest ways to do that,” Fenton said. “In some communities it’s turned into a community event where the community is out walking and they are encouraging each other and it becomes a challenge within the community to see who is doing the most walking.”
One mother even used the Mocc Walk Challenge as an opportunity to teach her children math and how to tell time.
Another family earned points while delivering newspapers on a newspaper route and some schools have participated by going for walks on recess breaks.
For more information, contact Fenton toll-free at 1-800-667-0816, by phone at 807-625-8579 or by e-mail at diabetes@onwa-tbay.ca.