[twitter]How far can someone walk in 26 hours? I’m about to find out.

The 2016 Team Diabetes Calendar has been unveiled with destinations ranging from Gold Coast, Australia to Dublin to Reykjavik to Nashville. Mix in a full schedule of Canadian events across the country and there really is something for everyone to train for, raise some money, and increase awareness of the plight of diabetics in Canada.

For me, the importance of being on Team Diabetes is to constantly keep a training goal on the calendar in front of me. I need to be working towards something to be motivated to get out, stay active, and take better care of myself. To that end, I have chosen the Gold Coast Marathon in July 2016 as my next Team Diabetes event.

And I will be bringing the entire family on this journey. Zacharie and Charlie have seen me raise money for events in Scotland, Bermuda, and Iceland and now they want in. The Gold Coast Marathon offers races for kids at 2k and 4k, longer distances for the grown-ups. I have signed up for the full marathon, to even out my career total at a round number of 5 (and collect another continent having already completed marathons in North America, South America, and Europe). The boys are excited to not only compete, but raise money (Z has already petitioned his principal to ask for school space to fundraise!)

Seeing my kids take an interest in joining the cause, raising money, and making a commitment to healthy, active lifestyles is inspiring me to gather even more people to join Team Diabetes.

To that end, I will be holding a 26 Hour Mall Marathon this weekend, March 13 – 15 at Southcentre Mall in Calgary. I will walk on a treadmill for 26 hours over 3 days, representing the 26 miles you cover in marathon. I’m hoping this feat of insanity will inspire 26 people to join Team Diabetes and take charge of their own health, training for an event and raising money for the Canadian Diabetes Association.

If you’re not up for the challenge, you can still support the 9 million Canadians living with diabetes and pre-diabetes. The biggest push I have for raising money with Team Diabetes is to send Type 1 diabetic kids to camp. My friend Kerri Sparling sings the praises of what going to camp with other diabetics is like. It’s a support system that allows kids to feel normal, forms life-lasting friendships, and lets parents take a break from ‘thinking like their kid’s pancreas.’ I want families to have that time to enjoy life and every $500 I raise for the CDA sends a kid to camp.

You can help me reach my $25,000 Team Diabetes Gold Coast fundraising goal here:

Note, everyone who joins Team Diabetes through my account, or donates to my Team Diabetes fundraiser between now and March 15, 2016 is eligible to win a brand new treadmill from Fitness Depot or a year long membership to Kensington Fitness. (Note: while anyone in Canada can join Team D, and anyone worldwide can donate, only those in the immediate Calgary area are eligible for these prizes.)

I hope to see you at the mall this weekend, when we answer the question: how far can one person walk in 26 hours. I’m guessing about 120km. What do you think?