[twitter]9 million Canadians are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Nearly 1/3 of us will have to face diabetes at one point in our life. When? Well, that’s the tricky part. Pre-diabetes means you’re at risk for diabetes, you might have it and not even know it.

This is why I run for Team Diabetes. By constantly having marathon or half-marathon goals in front of me on the calendar, I have something to work for and it keeps me challenged stay in shape. I’m back running 30km a week as I get ready for the Team Diabetes Bermuda Marathon in January, and it’s great. But is it enough?

1 in 33 Canadians has type 2 diabetes and doesn’t know it. That’s 1 million Canadians with untreated type 2 diabetes symptoms.

Look around your workplace. That’s 1, 2, 3, or 5 people in your office that don’t know their health is at risk. They have no idea they have type 2 diabetes.

How do you know if you have Type 2 Diabetes?

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so let’s all do our part to take control of our own health and become aware of the risky behaviours that can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Visit DontBeRisky.ca, and find out if you’re at risk by filling out the online CANRISK diabetes test to see if your lifestyle exhibits risk factors or you are showing type 2 diabetes symptoms.

I took the test and my diabetes risk is moderate, mostly because of my weight. I don’t have a family history of diabetes, I don’t have an ethnic make-up that is prone to diabetes, I’ve never had high blood pressure. Still, I need to lose weight and bring moderate down to low.

Now it’s your turn.

For every test taken Novo Nordisk will donate $1 to diabetes research, so share DontBeRisky.ca with your friends, family and colleagues (the awareness part).

Follow the Canadian Diabetes Association on Facebook and Twitter, and help us reach the 1,000,000 Canadians who are living with type 2 diabetes symptoms and don’t know it.

By taking the test you could also win a $5,000 or one of two $2,500 Money for Life experiences (afinancial portfolio from Sun Life Financial), and you’ll be helping countless Canadians reduce their risk.

The contest is now open*, so visit DontBeRisky.ca and help reduce the risk of diabetes for all Canadians.