Our People in NSW
Sam Scully - Maclean man on a mission
CPL Sam Scully of Maclean will carry with him more than just a glucometer when he contests the ironman triathlon in Cairns on June 9.
The former Maclean High School student, who was diagnosed with type-one diabetes when he was 26 in 2009, will also carry the hopes of young sufferers of the illness in the 3.8km swim/180km bike ride/42.2km run event.
He has agreed to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation which invests in research that it hopes will find a cure for diabetes.
CPL Scully, a ground support equipment fitter at RAAF Base Townsville, has to inject himself with insulin six times a day, but said: “I personally have no problems at all managing my diabetes and I don't think twice about jamming a needle in to my body.
“However, this isn't the case for children -- it is a cruel disease on kids and their families and my desire for a cure is purely for these children and families and not for myself.
“Most T1 diabetics are diagnosed very young. If a child is diagnosed at age five, they will have had almost 30,000 injections by their 18th birthday.
“This doesn't include multiple finger-prick tests every day. If it was tough taking your kids for immunisations, try being the parent of a T1 diabetic.”
CPL Scully was quite the young sportsman when he was going up. He loved swimming and playing soccer, and was ranked NSW’s top under-15 squash player.
When he joined the Air Force in 2007, his focus changed more to running.
But in 2009, his sky fell in when he was diagnosed. T1 diabetes is an autoimmune attack that kills the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas leaving the person unable to produce the insulin. It is not fully understood what causes it and there is no cure -- insulin is only a treatment, not a cure.
“I was told by diabetes experts that I'd be treading on egg shells for the rest of my life.”
The fear was vigorous activity could bring on 'hypos' -- a drop in blood sugar levels that causes unconsciousness and can lead to coma and even death if severe enough.
“But, I am not an average or statistic in a medical text book, I won't listen to what people say I can't do because of diabetes.
“To prove perceptions about diabetics wrong I wanted to do the most demanding sport I could find and not only participate, but be good at it.
“I came upon ironman triathlon through a workmate and the distances and endurance involved in the sport were just so stupidly enormous that I knew that it would be perfect.
“Ironman is the perfect sport for diabetes as it demands so much determination and endurance. T1 diabetes is the ultimate endurance event -- it is 24/7 and is incurable, there are no holidays from it so 10-11 hours on an ironman race course is a walk in the park by comparison.
“Second only to insulin, frequent vigorous exercise is the best treatment for diabetes. It’s a balancing act though. ”
CPL Scully is confident he will complete the race in June without complications to his health.
Over the past two years, he has competed in numerous triathlons, marathons, rides and various other athletic events and during training he has test his blood levels at regular intervals for signs of trouble.
Last year he competed in the half-marathon in Cairns and finished it in 5hr 15 min, despite a stress fracture in his right foot.
He’s hoping to come in under 11 hours in the full-distance event this year.
He will carry a film-cannister sized glucometer for much of the race and test his blood levels six times during the way – before the start, after the swim, during the ride, at the end of the ride and twice during the marathon when he will have to slow to a walk to take the finger-prick test.
He will also carry a supply of lollies and sugar to keep the hypos at bay.
Make a donation at http://fundraise.teamcurediabetes.org.au/sam_scully.