Cattle farmer Geoff Henderson, from Binalong, NSW, has been selected as one of 25 international competitors for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in the United States, and is taking the opportunity to highlight the need to improve health outcomes in rural communities.
Mr Henderson will be heading over to the US in October to take part in the event with his partner, Fiona. The event’s timing just happens to coincide with new findings from the Heart Foundation, which indicate the disparities in health outcomes for rural Australians versus metropolitan Australians. The findings have been published in a National Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence Map (NCDPM).
As one of the 25 people selected from different countries including Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Italy, Israel, Switzerland, the US and the UK, Mr Henderson, 68, is considered a “Global Hero”, someone committed to making a difference. The race seeks to bring together people the world over who have been helped by medical technology, and who now wish to pass on their positivity to others living with chronic diseases. Mr Henderson has a pacemaker to treat his sick sinus syndrome.
Cardiovascular disease kills one Australian every 12 minutes, even though heart disease is detectable, preventable and treatable. The issues are occurring where community awareness lacks. The Heart Foundation’s NSDPM acknowledged that the state of cardiovascular disease in rural areas is poor, estimating that 350,000 fewer adults would become victim’s of the country’s biggest killer, if the rate of the condition in the “bush” was similar to that in the city areas.
Mr Henderson said he feels there is little community focus on health checks and that they are something taken for granted.
“I have always tried to live by the mantra ‘if you look after your body then it will look after you’ but at times that isn’t enough. By being named a Global Hero I hope to prove to others that you can live well despite having heart disease, but the first step is getting checked – tough farmers included.”
“I enjoy travelling and have climbed many of the world’s largest peaks visiting some of the world’s most remote regions. I find it difficult that people living in rural Australia face the same hurdles in accessing healthcare. For some, a trip to the local GP means a full day off work which can be tough on the books and seeing a specialist can be even harder. This shouldn’t be the case. I urge people to take the time to see their doctor and get checked – for anything. I was fortunate to have my condition detected before it was too late.”
Mr Henderson will be accompanied by the 2013 Global Hero Warren Williams, a school teacher and marathon runner from Sydney, who was selected as a mentor for the event.
The Medtronic Foundation, with their Global Heroes program that launched in 2006, will donate $1,000 to non-profit patient organisations that educate and support people who live with the runners’ respective conditions.
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