Will Cross '90Raising Funds, Awareness Through The Ultimate Walk to Cure Diabetes
Some people like to do things the hard way. A diabetic for 24 years, Will Cross '90 says he's been challenging himself with grueling treks and climbs since high school.
Cross recently became the first diabetic to complete a trek to the North Pole. An expedition that began in Norway, this achievement was just a training exercise for when things get really tough.
Next year is when the practice will matter most, when Cross sets out on "The Ultimate Walk to Cure Diabetes," a trek by foot by a team of three endurance athletes. The Ultimate Walk isn't just a clever name, considering that this "walk" is an arduous journey that spans more than 600 miles of Antarctic terrain.
Starting in November 2002, Cross's team will travel by foot for two months from Hercules Bay to the South Pole. Joining him will be Dr. Brett Goodpaster, a diabetic research scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, and Jerry Petersen, whose father is diabetic. In addition, Cross's father, also a diabetic, will join the team for the last 120 miles of the trip.
But this isn't just a walk in a cold, snowy park. "The Ultimate Walk" has three primary goals: to study the effects of climate conditions on diabetic physiology; to raise public awareness about diabetes; and raise more than $1 million for the New York City-based Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the world's leading non-profit funder of accelerated research of Type I diabetes. Nationally ranked as a top source of charitable giving, JDRF is the only major diabetes organization that focuses exclusively on research.
Cross says he feels that this trek across Antarctica reflects
the challenges and dangers that diabetics must face each day - and that's
part of the reason he's chosen to undergo the journey. "This year, more people
will die from diabetes than from AIDS and cancer combined, and the disease
is also the leading cause of blindness and limb amputation in the country," Cross
explains. "I want to push my limits to contribute in some way to educating
about this cause - and to prove that this trek can be done by a diabetic."
The trek to Antarctica does present unique hazards to the diabetic adventurer. In addition to obvious dangers of travelling in Antarctica, insulin freeze is a particular concern to diabetics, who are also especially susceptible to frostbite due to nerve damage. Other concerns include rapid changes in weather conditions, extreme low temperatures, remoteness of the polar regions to modern facilities, and hazardous terrain. "Antarctica is a far-off place and a tough journey," he says. "No diabetic has ever done it."
Antarctica will be added to a list of Cross's accomplished journeys that includes the Grand Teton, Mount Blanc, the Matterhorn, Denali, Alpamayo, the Mountains of the Moon, the Sahara desert. In addition to these physical achievements, Cross also earned the gold Congressional Award for his initiative, achievement, and service in outdoor leadership.
After earning a bachelor of arts degree in history from Allegheny, Cross earned degrees in teaching from Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh. Cross currently coordinates and maintains an alternative school for the Pine-Richland School District in Gibsonia, Pa.
The Ultimate Walk to Cure Diabetes has received many sponsorships and endorsements from the following: JDRF; Labwerks Interactive; Hayden Associates; Worldo.com; The Dilenschneider Group; the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium; Briggs Pacific Industries; Mountain Dreams International; the Steel Foundation; Pittsburgh's Children's Museum and the Danforth Company, which has contributed as the seed capital provider.
"The Ultimate Walk to Cure Diabetes" will be regularly reported on the group's official web site, which will provide links and updated photos during Cross's 60-day journey. Learn more about The Ultimate Walk to Cure Diabetes
