Shirley Wood running for greater good

The Rome Marathon in March will likely be Shirley Wood’s last.
“This is my last run,” Wood, a former Sandy Lake resident who now lives in St. Theresa Point, Man., said. “I’m tired of running.”
But for her last marathon, she wants it to be a big one. Running the Rome Marathon, as part of Team Diabetes Canada, fits the bill nicely, she said.
“Team Diabetes Canada asked me to run,” she said. “So I decided to. I’m fighting for the people. So many Aboriginal people have diabetes. I want to help them so I will run.”
The disease is personal for Wood.
“I lost my first husband (Angus Wood) to diabetes and cancer,” she said. “I know what it can do.”
One of her daughters also has diabetes.
“I think it is important to raise awareness about diabetes,” she said. “People need to get tested and get healthy.”
Wood has been running for as long as she can remember.
“This was my hobby,” she said. “I started when I was young in residential school. I wanted to run away from the school.”
As she grew older, Wood, now 51, continued to train and started running longer distances, eventually starting to run marathon.
She has completed the St. Theresa Point Marathon and Manitoba Marathon more than two dozen times each.
She’s also run the Twin Cities Marathon in St. Paul, Minn., Cross Lake Marathon, Thompson, Man. Marathon, Norway House Marathon, Wassagamach Marathon, Garden Hill Marathon and the Sandy Lake Marathon.
Training for this marathon has been a bit challenging for Wood.
“I can’t un on the roads anymore,” she said. “It is too cold.”
Instead, she’s riding a bike indoors to improve her leg strength and running around the hallways of the community school in St. Theresa Point.
By running the marathon, Wood hopes to raise money for diabetes awareness, a cure and prevention of the disease.
Wood has until Jan. 10 to receive pledges. She still needs to raise about $3,000.
The Northwest Company has set up an account on her behalf where pledges can be made. It is account number 5355-Shirley C. Wood.
Donations can also be made through Scott Munn at 800-782-0391 ext. 1379 or Denise at ext. 3710.