Mel Barkalow
Nampa. Idaho
Event: GORUCK Heavy Mog Mile, Seattle, WA
Date: September 29, 2017
"I am going places. The only thing preventing me from accomplishing my goals is myself."
Mel's "Why"
I want to help inspire other diabetics to become more physically active and help them realize that whatever they set their mind to in terms of athletics, that they can do it. I am also an avid back country adventurer and am working on training to mountaineer. Currently I am working to accomplish a GORUCK Heavy event in 2017. I want to do this because it is what motivates me- the challenge of the event. The sense of accomplishment while doing the event and finishing the event. And then setting a new goal and reaching for it, too. Things like these are what help wake me up each morning- to get up and get out there, making my body a beautiful and wonderful thing that can accomplish so much when I set my mind to it. I love the look on my coworkers faces when I tell them about my goals. And I love it even more when they now ask what my latest adventure has been. I am going places. The only thing preventing me from accomplishing my goals is myself. If I have to get a second job in order to pay my bills, put food on my plate and be able to afford entry fees for my events, then so be it. I will do what is necessary to get ahead in life and be all that I can be. And then set the bar higher.
It Takes a Village
I have found it very difficult to find a community of type 1 diabetics in which to bounce ideas off of in terms of endurance training and preparation for events and this includes finding doctors equipped to understand endurance athletes, much less T1D athletes. That is, until I found the GORUCK (GRT) family and refused to accept that there were no endocrinologists out there that could help me. GRTs are a wonderful group of people willing to share their experiences, both positive and negative. But there are so few T1Ds out there that do these kinds of events. And I want to change that.
#liveforaliving in motion
If money wasn't an object, what would I change?
I would continue to work in law enforcement. I love my job. I love the people I work with and I love making a difference in my community. If money was less of an issue for me, I think that would provide less stress in my life. Less stress means that going to work every day would be less stressful in terms of handling my calls, providing service to my community and interacting with the general public. There are times I wish I could make a bigger difference. That I could help and reach out to more people. If money were less of an issue, I would spend more time on the Police Academy (POST) training a coworker and I developed and attempt to take it nationwide to help train other law enforcement personnel and make a difference in their communities, too. I would also spend more time and money helping train officers since in this day and age, money is so limited for departments and training is so badly needed.
Want to get involved?
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