top
East Bay
East Bay
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Richmond, CA Native swims in Alaska to defeat diabetes

by Pete Verral (pverral [at] sbcglobal.net)
San Francisco Bay Area American Indian braves frigid open water swim in Ketchikan, Alaska in fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Indian/Alaska Natives (AIAN) have the higest rate of diabetes than
any ethnicity in the U.S.
zizi_pennock_island1.jpg
Zolina Zizi, a Richmond, CA resident and American Indian, was a member of the Ketchikan Indian Community relay team that took 3rd place in the August 4th Pennock Island Challenge, an open water swim/fundraiser (in mid 50s to low 60s temperature), for the American Diabetes Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Indian/Alaska Natives (AIAN) have the higest rate of diabetes than any ethnicity in the U.S.

Obesity is a leading risk factor of diabetes. Based on the body-mass index (BMI), 11.3% of teens and 68.5% of AIAN adults in California are overweight or obese, according to a May, 2012 report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

Zolina represented PATHSTAR (http://www.pathstar.org) for the Alaska swim. Bay area-based PATHSTAR works with AIAN communities to inspire healthy nutrition and active lifestyle practices. Zolina is a two-time participant of the annual PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week that ends with a swim from the "Rock" to the San Francisco shore. (Water temperature is similar to the Pennock Island Challenge.) The 2013 PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week will be held October 6-14.

Photo Credit: Ruth Pechay/Ketchikan Indian Community Health Clinic, Alaska
§Pennock Island Challenge, Alaska
by Pete Verral
zizi_pennock_island3.jpg
Zolina Zizi, a Richmond, CA resident, swimming a relay leg of the August 4th Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles in mid 50s to low 60s temperature), held in Ketchikan, Alaska.  Zizi, an American Indian (Cheyenne/Arikara Creek), was on the Ketchikan Indian Community relay team that placed third in the fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. Zizi was the only team member with open water swimming experience. She represented PATHSTAR (http://www.pathstar.org) a San Francisco-based nonprofit, that works with American Indian/Alaska Native communities to inspire healthy nutrition and active lifestyle practices. The annual 2013 PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week will be held October 6 to 14th.

Photo Credit: Ruth Pechay/Ketchikan Indian Community Health Clinic, Alaska  
Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$110.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network