Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 6-2-17

Feature
2 Wheels 1 Cause: Riding For Diabetes Awareness
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
For many, bringing awareness about diabetes means hosting health forums that include testing, partici- pating in walks and gearing up for cycling fundraising events.
For Neville Lee of 2 Wheels 1 Cause, it means doing all of the above plus a month-long motorcycle tour that – starting today – will take him up the Interstate 95 corridor into Canada and then back to Tampa.
It’s the fourth summer that Lee is taking to the high- way to spread his message of Diabetes Awareness. He’ll stop in some major cities along the East Coast and into the Midwest – including Bal- timore, Washington, D. C., Boston, and Cleveland – and also visit Nova Scotia, Toronto, and Montreal.
The trip is a total of 8,000 miles, about 2,000 fewer than last year’s cross-country trip, he said.
It’s a risky trip for anyone, especially Lee who is dia- betic. Dramatic changes in weather can be punishing on those who suffer from the dis- ease.
Nonetheless, Lee said he feels compelled to keep riding until there’s a cure.
“Diabetes is not resolved yet,” he said. “Until there’s no need, I’ll ride.”
In some cities, Lee – who
Neville Lee will start his month-long motorcycle mission for Diabetes Awareness today (Friday).
suffers from Type II diabetes – will participate in events hosted by local chapters of the National Urban League Urban Professionals where he’ll share his personal battle with the disease which is the seventh-leading cause of death among Americans.
He’ll also share with as many people as possible the American Diabetes Associa- tion’s risk test to help them determine if they are inclined to develop the disease.
Just getting people to con- sider getting tested is incred- ibly important in the battle against the chronic illness es- pecially among African- Americans, a group disproportionately affected
by the disease.
According to the Ameri-
can Diabetes Association, they are 1.7 times more likely to develop diabetes than non- Hispanic whites and 13.2 per- cent of all African-Americans age 20 years or older have di- agnosed diabetes.
Diagnosed in 2006, Lee said he regularly monitors his blood sugar and maintains a healthy diet and exercise reg- imen to keep his diabetes in check.
Maintaining his health is a vow he made to himself after a close friend died from undi- agnosed diabetes.
He also promised to pay it forward, and 2 Wheels 1 Cause is his way of doing just
that. By Lee’s estimation, he’s raised thousands of dol- lars for diabetes research and his message of awareness has reached more than 250,000 people.
Lee said he looks forward to doing more even if it means visiting every major city in the United States or crossing the border.
“Diabetes is a world issue,” he said. “I’ll continue
to add on new cities each year.”
2 Wheels 1 Cause
Neville Lee hits the highway for his fourth 2 Wheels 1 Cause motorcycle ride for diabetes awareness. You can follow Lee along his journey at www.2wheels 1cause.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/2wheels1 cause, or on Twitter at @2wheels1cause.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2017