Paddling for life
ALS survivor's courageous lake charity paddle
A diagnosis of a fatal variety of motor neurone disease is an overwhelming thing to face, especially when told the prognosis is six months to two years of survival.
For Taupō man Tony Treloar, that frightening news was delivered in 2009.
Fifteen years later, he’s still fighting, and is about to take on a task that would be challenging for most people; a waka ama paddle of up to 7km along Lake Taupō .
This Sunday will start with Treloar’s usual morning routine of a trip to the lakefront.
The difference will be that this time, he’ll be taking to the water instead of admiring the sight of others.
His habit of picking up a coffee and sitting by the lake began as a way to help him battle the fatigue that comes along with ALS, the type of motor neuron disease (MND) he has.
“Every morning when I wake up, I get up super knackered, come into town and get myself a coffee, come down here to the beautiful boat harbour area and park up.”
After striking up a conversation with members of Taupō Waka Ama Club, he hatched the idea of doing his own paddle to raise funds and awareness for the Neurological Foundation, an organisation devoted to helping people with a range of brain conditions, including MND.
He’s been helped every step of the way by the club, who will also provide two support paddlers and wakas to help keep him safe on Sunday.
Treloar’s friends Scott Gretton and Dave Lockwood will also be on hand in a powerboat, he said.
“I’m trying not to prepare [too much]- the idea is that it’s a oneoff challenge.
“I’ve done one trial, solely to check if I was capable of taking on such a challenge, or whether I was wasting everyone’s time, as MND attacks both your balance and your coordination.”
Some hard work and problemsolving were needed, not least as Treloar’s condition means he’s unable to build muscle.
“I’ve done no other preparation, on purpose; MND people are on a fast downward slide [although] my descent is slower than normal.”
His goal, he said, is to get people thinking about their amazing bodies and minds.
“The more you learn about everything going on inside you, your cells, your physical composition, is amazing - and as beautiful as Lake Taupō .
“I’m a 65-year-old, I moved here 40-odd years ago solely because of the lake, but I’m now learning to appreciate just how beautiful our insides are.
“I just highly recommend people take a bit of time to learn of the amazing and beautiful happenings going on inside them every minute. The byproduct of that will be a lot less poor health.”
Neurological Foundation’s head of engagement, Kerry McLeod, said three people are diagnosed with MND every week in New Zealand, and one in three have some kind of neurological condition, from epilepsy to strokes and dementia.
This means awareness and fundraising are hugely important, she said.
“We’re so grateful to Tony for his amazing fundraising efforts.
“We are in awe of him, especially as he is personally affected by ALS.
“We also salute his wonderful support team. What an exceptional person he is. We would encourage Taupō and Tū rangi locals to support Tony in achieving his goal to help fund vital research and education.”
A Givealittle page has been set up for Tony’s fundraiser, under the title: For neurologically-afflicted folk, by one.