25 John Flynn College residents are fundraising to change the lives of thousands of young people living in extreme poverty.

By Gabrielle Vacher

James Cook University students fundraising for Oaktree’s Live Below the Line campaign have reached the final month of donations.

Along with thousands of Australian participants, 25 John Flynn College residents restricted themselves to eat only $2 worth of food a day between May 5^th and May 9^th to better understand and raise awareness for extreme poverty.

Although college students have little control over the meals prepared in the dining hall, Brenton Mayer and Rosie Mathews coordinated with the chefs to provide the 25 participants with five days of cheap nutrition.

“Brenton, myself and 28 others were keen to tackle the Live below the Line challenge in 2013, but we didn’t see how it would be feasible to prepare all of our meals on college with such a large group participating and such limited cooking facilities to share,” Rosie says.

“Our head chef Rob and the rest of the cooking staff were very supportive and helpful when we approached them about coordinating with us, and it was so successful last year that they were more than happy to take part take this year as well.”

Challenge: JCU students are endeavouring to ‘Live Below the Line.’

Rosie says the cooperation of the kitchen staff encouraged more students to participate.

“Knowing that the meals would be prepared for us definitely had a huge impact on the number of residents who decided to partake in the challenge,” she says.

“We students only had to organise the ingredients by pooling our money and then buying all of the food in bulk, which was split evenly between us.

“The cooks also asked us for meal ideas and the Live below the Line website provided some great recipes that we adapted, and even students from Flynn had some awesome ideas and improvements from last year.

“Most importantly, by collaborating with the kitchen staff we were able to raise so much more awareness on college as we were eating our meals at the same time and in the same place as everybody else – in the dining hall.

“We even had the chance to do some fundraising during lunch and dinner.”

Rosie believes it was the ‘simple things’ that made a difference during the five days of low-budget dieting.

“It was the cheap tea, cordial and jelly that provided something tastier to our otherwise bland menu – these were considered our ‘treats’ and the sugar hit definitely increased the moral of the group!”

“Apart from that we had ‘no brand’ bread, jam, and butter to share for the week, as well as some corn flakes for breakfast and rice, pasta and frozen vegetables for dinner,” Rosie says.

John Flynn College residents Sky Brunker and Emma Green struggled to find the energy for sport and physical activity throughout the five-day challenge.

“Receiving only carb-based foods for every meal affected me, as the change was so rapid and I was no longer receiving the essential vitamins and nutrients I needed,” Sky says.

“My immune system become quite vulnerable and I fell sick towards the end of the trial.

“The biggest problem was then how much the diet affected my ability to do physical activity – I would become instantly light-headed and if I continued I would become quite nauseous.”

“We really did eat so much white bread and rice!” says Emma.

“Overall it wasn’t as bad as I expected, particularly considering our college did it in a large group – it is easier having people to do it with you.

“I really missed fruit and vegetables though, and it was definitely a struggle to play sport.”

The Live below the Line movement is run by Oaktree, Australia’s largest youth-run organisation with over 150,000 members and funded almost entirely by public donations.

Since 2010 it has grown into a multi-million-dollar fundraising campaign that dedicates 90.1 per cent of all money raised to those living in poverty by providing scholarships, renovating schools and training teachers to offer quality education for thousands of young people in East Timor, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.

Rosie, Sky and Emma agree that the campaign is one of the best ways to raise awareness for extreme poverty.

“It was a massive eye opener for me to consider how many people live on less than this for a lot longer than five days,” Sky says.

“It is an amazing cause that is changing so many lives for the better and I would definitely encourage more people to participate.”

“Even though living on $2 of food a day is clearly not in any way close to simulating the lives of people living in extreme poverty, it does release a strong message,” Rosie says.

“The World Bank estimates that extreme poverty may be eliminated by 2030, so if Oaktree can spread awareness and trigger some much needed action then this is certainly a worthwhile cause!”

Support the Oaktree Live below the Line campaign by making a donation to your fellow University peers at: https://www.livebelowtheline.com.au/ – donations close Friday 30^th June.

Modern-day Lent has prompted even non-religious individuals to make lifestyle changes and achieve personal goals during the 40 day fasting period.

By Gabrielle Vacher

This Thursday 16^th April will mark the close of Lent 2014*, a religious observance traditionally practiced by Christians who recognise and reflect on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

For many, however, Lent serves as an incentive to transform and improve their life over the 40-day period.

Sacrifice: Giving up chocolate for Lent, a 40 day preparation for Easter.
Image by: http://www.mslimalicious.com/2012/05/weight-in-disaster-must-quit-chocolate.html

Vet student Emily Pucciarmati has decided to give up fast food for the benefit of her health, and her bank account.

“I hated the way fast food made me feel, and I always regretted eating it,” Emily says.

“It really is too easy to buy, especially when you’re surrounded by Uni students who want to do those sneaky late night takeaway runs!

“Surprisingly, I haven’t found it difficult at all, and I haven’t cheated once.

“It takes 21 days to make a habit and the Lent period has made a non-fast food diet achievable for me! I’m pretty proud of myself.”

Emma Barbagallo, a Speech Pathology student and resident at George Roberts College, has chosen to walk to class instead of driving.

“It seemed like a good idea to do a bit of walking for exercise,” Emma says.

“I have cheated on days where I’ve had to see clients at Uni, although only because I’ve had a lot of things to take with me. Plus, it’s been difficult when I’m running late, or if it’s raining.

“I would really like to try to maintain the habit even after Lent finishes next week, although sometimes it really is easier to drive.”

Engineering student Caitlin Aguirre is sacrificing chocolate over the 40-day period.

“There is no Christian reason behind my decision. I just want to challenge myself,” Caitlin says.

Duchesne College in Brisbane intend to benefit others through their combined choice to give up ice-cream.

“My entire college has stopped eating ice cream,” Genevieve says.

“Admittedly, it’s killing me! But the money we save will be donated to a charity, so it is for a good cause.”

Catholic School Student Gabriella Dal Santo has an alternative outlook toward Lent.

“I tried giving up cake, which then led to giving up only chocolate cake, which even then I blew under the stress of school exams!” Gabriella says.

“To me, it’s the thought that counts. Even failing to fully replicate the hardship Jesus Christ faced during the 40 days he spent in the desert is still a way to recognise the pain and suffering he faced.”

Regardless of whether an individual practices Lent for religious reasons or for the shear benefit of improving their life, the 40-day fasting period clearly helps us to become more spiritually mindful with the bonus of eliminating a couple of bad habits at the same time.

*Following the liturgical abbreviations of the Second Vatican Council in the Roman Catholic Church, Lent, in the Catholic Church, is now taken to end on Maundy Thursday rather than Easter Eve, and hence lasts 38 days excluding Sundays, or 44 days in total.

As university nears the end of first semester, students may find that stress is beginning to play a role in making or breaking mid-year results.

By Judith Aisthorpe

JCU’s Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience is researching  the effects of stress with the aim to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience and Head Supervisor of the study, Zoltan Sarnyai says he thinks the study will lead the way into more research.

“To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind in Australia, and therefore it is hard to predict results,” Sarnyai says.

“This said, we would expect to see higher levels of stress hormones in people who report high levels of chronic stress, regardless of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status.”

Stressed Out: Are you feeling stressed?
Photo Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/blooddrive/8214477155

The study will look into factors that cause stress in students and determine if there is a difference between stress levels affecting Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Racism is believed to be a contributing factor and the study will help researchers understand how it contributes to chronic stress in Indigenous people.

“While racism has many adverse effects on well-being, we know that it also affects health by acting as a chronic stressor,” Sarnyai says.

“So it is fair to say that racism definitely contributes to the existing health gap.”

Postgraduate student and study investigator Maximus Berger says the study focuses on chronic stress as one of two types of stress.

“With this study we are aiming to look at chronic stress and the response to psychosocial stress in students and we are also looking at chronic stress and traumatic life events,” Berger says.

“Acute stress is very helpful because it helps you to increase your awareness and to react to a stressful situation.

“Chronic stress on the other hand really has some side effects.”

Sarnyai says the affects of stress can range from one’s general well-being and happiness to more serious diseases such as heart problems.

“Stress is important because it plays a major role in many aspects of health,” Sarnyai says.

“Chronic stress can cause or aggravate a number of diseases such as high blood pressure, obesity, digestive problems, diabetes, delayed wound healing, sleep problems, heart disease and depression.”

The Australian Family Physician a site by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners looks into common ailments in the general public.

The Australian Family Physician also states, “It is now known that stress is a major cause of illness, especially cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and psychiatric disease.”

The research team is calling all JCU university students both Indigenous and non-Indigenous to participate in a 3-hour workshop.

Sarnyai says the workshop is not difficult with students having to do only a few activities for the study

“Participants will be asked to fill out questionnaires, participate in a short interview of about 10 minutes and collect saliva samples at home across three days,” Sarnyai says.

Sarnyai says scientists and psychologists have collaboratively designed the workshop.

“The stress test we are using has been designed by psychologists in Germany and we are using their original protocol,” he says.

People who are stressed can help themselves by taking measures towards relaxation.

“I think when it comes to coping with stress it is important to identify the stressor,” Berger says.

“The thing that actually stresses you and to see if you can change the stressor of if you can change your coping strategies to the stressor.

“You can also ask your friends and family for help and support or you can improve your skills to handle the stressful situation.”

If you would like to participate contact the research team by emailing them on stress.jcu@gmail.com.

An insight into why your mobile phone could be doing you damage

By Domanii Cameron

“I tend to say it’s like having a car. There’s a risk there but there’s road rules to reduce that risk. The problem with cell phones and a lot of new technology is that even though the evidence is that there can be adverse effects, there’s no road rules.” author of numerous publications on Electromagnetic Fields  health issues Don Maisch says in his most recent publication.

Safety precautions: We should be conscious of how close a mobile phone is to our heads. PHOTO CREDIT: http://phys.org/news195936306.html

If you have ever sat in a lecture theatre, at an airport or even watched couples sit across from one another in a restaurant, then you may very well have also watched the glowing screens of mobile phones interrupt the everyday chatter of conversations.

Between the iPads, computers and smartphones, many of us are juggling a relationship between cyber space and reality.

However amid the hype of modern communication, there may exist a serious concern for everyone; a concern that many of us are oblivious to or have turned our ears against; a concern that may be one of the largest public health risks of our time and one that may fatally effect Generation Y.

With around one billion smart phones sold worldwide in 2013, mobile phone radiation is being considered by some as a serious health risk and for obvious reasons. Specialists, researchers and some of Australia’s top neurosurgeons are unanimously concerned that the radiation emitted from mobiles is an impending health risk that needs to be acknowledged soon.

And it’s the long term effects of this health issue that creator of EMFacts Consultancy Don Maisch says will first effect Generation Y.

“It’s the young people that are going to be effected the most,” Maisch says.

“Evidence from the Interphone Study which is a 13 nation study shows that over the duration of 10 years, there seems to be a connection with long term phone use and brain tumours.”

The University of Wollongong PHD graduate, who has worked for Senator for Tasmania Robert Bell and has also been a representative to the Australian Telecommunications Standards Committee, established EMFacts Consultancy in 1994 as an independent source of information surrounding the effects of mobile phone radiation.

If you hold your phone in close proximity to your head when you talk and do this frequently or for prolonged periods of time, then you should start actively changing your ways.

And Don Maisch isn’t the only one who is advocating this.

If you’ve ever purchased an iPhone, which according to Apple 150.5 million people have worldwide, then you would have received a booklet detailing possible health side effects.

Apple states in the booklet that ‘when carrying [an] iPhone, keep it 1.5cm (5/8 inch) or more away from your body to ensure exposure levels remain at or below the maximum levels. Avoid cases with metal parts.’

A warning from the world’s leading technology powerhouse presents a problem, as does the following statement that Telstra made in their 2004 Annual Report.

“The establishment of a link between adverse health effects and electromagnetic energy (EME) could expose us to liability or negatively affect our operations.”

“I think there’s an attitude where people say, ‘well if these things (mobiles) are dangerous then why are they being sold?’” Maisch says.

In March 2009, three of Australia’s best neurosurgeons wrote a letter to the editor to the Medical Journal Surgical Neurology titled Health Risks of Cell Phone Technology.

Surgeons Vini Khurana of Canberra, Charles Teo who was born in Sydney but now resides in America and Richard Bittar who practices in Victoria, expressed concern over what they deemed as a serious emerging public health risk.

The three strongly contend that mobile phones can cause brain tumours, salivary gland tumours, male infertility and behavioural disturbances.

They have also said that children should have restricted access, especially from a young age.

Khurana and Teo furthered their belief with co-authors Michael Kundi, Lennart Hardell and Michael Carlberg by publishing a peer-reviewed paper stating that ‘there is adequate epidemiologic evidence to suggest a link between prolonged cell phone usage and the development of an ipsilateral brain tumour,’

They say there is sufficient evidence to believe that you can in fact be susceptible to a brain tumour after using a mobile for extended periods.

Yet despite the standing evidence, there are some who believe otherwise.

Australian Centre for Radio Frequency Bioeffects Research Executive Director Rodney Croft is one of these.

“So far, there has been quite a bit of research and it’s failed to find any such effects,” the Director says.

“We can never prove that these things don’t exist but given that we haven’t identified anything so far, I don’t have any reason to believe we will in the future.”

Croft dismissed the idea that Generation Y will feel any effect in the future.

“At the moment, we don’t know of any risks so it’s a bit hard to say for something that doesn’t pose a risk by using it,” Croft says.

“All we can say is that there could be possibilities. However, given that we’ve conducted research that’s looked at animals and haven’t found any effects, then I would say that there is not going to be a problem.”

And so exists a divide between researchers and specialists.

Research and opinions expressed are still being met with skepticism and for a problematic reason that presents a huge bias.

“In this whole field, researchers who say there could be a problem don’t get funding, whereas researchers who tend to down play the issue tend to get funding because guess who provides it; the industry,” Maisch says.

“The industry is the hidden hand; it controls the funding and it controls the research.

“You find that researchers globally who are finding that there are problems aren’t getting funding so it doesn’t get followed up.”

This technologically driven era is one that has diverged down a road where our mobiles and desktops are steering us into a cyber reality.

There’s an obvious balance that needs to be found to both reconnect us as humans and aid in protecting our health, especially when a specialist is able to draw comparisons between radiation and one of the biggest killers of this day and age; cancer.

‘There are definitely similarities between both mobile phone radiation and smoking cigarettes.

“It is a fair comparison,” Maisch says.

 

The 6th Exercise & Sport Science Australia and Sports Dieticians Australia conference ‘Research to Practice’ is to be held in Adelaide from April 10 to 12.

(Image Credit: ESSA Website)

Tamara Woolley’s soccer-based Honours research project is a ‘keeper’.

By Gabrielle Vacher

Bachelor of Sport & Exercise Science graduate Tamara Woolley is the first JCU student to be selected as a finalist for the Aspire Academy Young Investigator Award.

Tamara was chosen after submitting an abstract of her soccer-based Honours research project to the Committee of the Research to Practice conference to be held in Adelaide from April 10 to 12.

Her Honours project and contending presentation is titled ‘The Effect of Spatial Manipulation on Goalkeepers’ Anticipation of a Penalty Kick in Soccer’.

“It’s basically a study about the eye movements of a goalkeeper, observing where they’re looking when they’re trying to block the soccer ball from the goal, and then analysing how they can improve,” Tamara says.

Research to Practice is a biennial event organised by Exercise & Sports Science Australia and Sports Dieticians Australia, and is seen as an exceptional opportunity for both students and graduates to aid with professional development and networking.

The three-day conference implements a strong scientific program comprised of expert panels, interactive sessions, workshops, and presentations regarding Sports Science, Exercise Science, Nutrition, and Exercise is Medicine.

It attracts a number of high-level speakers, national exhibitors and representatives from multiple health associations.

JCU lecturer and Honours supervisor Robert Crowther encouraged Tamara to apply for the award.

“No JCU Sport & Exercise student has made the finalists or been nominated, it is quite a new award,” Robert says.

“Tamara will be up against some strong competition, but her topic is novel and it should be a good presentation.”

Of the nine awards bestowed at Research to Practice, the Aspire Academy Young Investigator Award is open to both current university students and students enrolled in the 2013 calendar year, granting $4000 prize money to the winner and $1000 to the runner-up.

A well-regarded committee has been appointed to undertake the judging of the finalist’s presentations on the basis of scientific quality, novelty, and potential impact.

“I am pretty nervous about speaking and presenting in front of such a massive crowd, but having the opportunity to further my studies and interact with such a wide range of professionals in my field will definitely make the experience worthwhile,” Tamara said.

To find out more about the Research to Practice conference, head to: Exercise Sports and Science Australia.

Patients may soon be saying goodbye to troublesome foot ulcers thanks to a study by a JCU researcher.

By Emma Kennedy

JCU PhD candidate and Vascular Biology Unit researcher Malindu Fernando said the study aimed to discover the causes and triggers of foot ulcers in Type 2 Diabetes patients.

HIGH-TECH: JCU PhD candidate and researcher Malindu Fernando with the close to $500,000 worth of equipment he will use to study diabetic foot ulcers

“We know there is a risk of foot ulcers [in Type 2 Diabetes patients] but nobody’s looked at how sugar control affects the process over a long time,” he said.

“We want to look at how these people are walking and how that has an effect on their diabetes.”

A symptom of diabetes is a loss of sensation in the feet which can lead to foot ulcers and other problems due to patients being unable to feel any injuries that may occur.

Mr Fernando initiated the study after completing placement in Townsville last year and seeing first-hand the “big problem” foot ulceration was in the area.

He began signing participants for the trial last month but still needs more for a full control study.

The study will primarily focus on around 50 Type 2 Diabetes patients with foot ulcers, but will also need the same number of Type 2 Diabetic patients without complications and a group of non-diabetic participants as a comparison.

“People will have an initial assessment with a vascular specialist and a diabetes specialist who will do some tests, then after that they will come to JCU and the system here will tell us in very fine detail about how people with diabetes are walking,” Mr Fernando said.

“We’ll look at the forces through their lower legs, hips, knees, ankles and joints as well as the pressures under their foot, how well the muscles are working and how much their diabetes may have affected their walking.”

Mr Fernando said the ideal outcome would be to determine whether or not the ulcers were preventable or treatable with walking techniques and strategise how to do so.

“We want to know how we can address this problem better or how we can prevent it early on as well as address how they’re walking,” he said.

“We’d like to see if there are any specific markers in the blood to prevent ulcers before they happen and then treat them if they’ve already happened.

“In treating we can look at walking patterns, different areas of the diabetes and the effects on the body.”

Study participants will need to attend an initial visit of 90 minutes to two hours, as well as an hour visit at the three, six, nine and 12-month mark but in return will receive a detailed analysis of their walking and tips on how to better their health as a result.

Mr Fernando will be recruiting participants until the end of the yea, with a particular interest in those aged between 45 and 70.

Anyone interested in participating should contact their local GP or Mr Fernando himself on 4781 3144.

JCNN’s International student journalist explored North Queensland’s favourite tropical fruits, and found eating local means eating healthy.

By Stine Pjaaten

As a tropical state, Northern Queensland is blessed with the ability to grow an amazing number of fresh and exotic fruits and vegetables. International students may choose an apple or banana instead because they don’t know how to approach or eat these unfamiliar fruits. However, I defied my fears and decided to try them. I think you should, too.

Lychee

Free Digital Photos

Paw Paw

Free Digital Photos

Pineapple

Free Digital Photos

Pineapple at home (Norway) is very expensive, but in northern Australia you can get a whole pineapple for $2. If you think you have tasted a nice pineapple before, I can almost assure you that the pineapples you get in the summer here are the sweetest; most juicy you will ever taste. It’s almost like you can drink the whole fruit. I ended up eating a whole pineapple myself. I just couldn’t stop. This is also the perfect snack to bring to uni, just cut it in pieces and bring in a little container. Try mixing it together with bites of mango or some fresh strawberries – yum! But beware of the rough leaves, as they may stick you. The easiest way to eat it is to cut off the bottom and the top, slice the fruit into wedges and eat the flesh away from the skin.

Mango

Free Digital Photos

Now I can’t wait to try other exotic fruits such as passionfruit, achacha, star apple, persimmon, custard apple, guava… the list can go on forever, and they’re all grown here in northern Queensland. Fruits are great sources of vitamins, minerals and fibres. They consist of almost no fat, but give a lot of energy. It is proven that fruit and vegetables can help prevent cancer and heart diseases to develop. In other words, to explore all the tasty treats the Australian summer has to offer must be the easiest way to eat healthy!

Are you an organ donor? Do your friends and family know your wishes? Have you even thought about it at all?

Amanda Carter

Katrina Zicchino, a Townsville mother who received a lifesaving transplant, would like you to think seriously about these questions because they could save someone’s life.

Katrina was diagnosed with end stage renal failure in 2000 after a routine cholesterol check with her doctor.

“I had about four or five precent function left in my kidneys. I was diagnosed by accident, I went to get my cholesterol check and the doctor did a complete run of blood tests and my kidney function was way out of whack,” Katrina said.

Katrina was put on dialysis, something that changed her life dramatically.

“We did dialysis three times a week for… basically it takes up the whole day. You’re on the machine for five hours a day and that changed my life dramatically because I couldn’t work, I couldn’t be there for the kids or go on holidays; you’re tied to the dialysis machine,” she said.

But dialysis is not a cure and many patients have to wait years to get transplants and as Katrina points out, many die while waiting for organs to become available.

Thankfully for the mother of two, after three years on dialysis, a kidney became available and she was a match.

Katrina flew to Brisbane to receive what she affectionately refers to as a ‘pre-loved’ kidney.

“It was what’s called a cadaveric transplant, where someone else has been diagnosed with brain death in ICU and was listed as an organ donor and I was the next match for a kidney,” she said.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions out there about organ donation. [People] don’t like the idea of the body being cut up, whereas utmost respect is given. They even replace the eyes with glass eyes,” says Katrina, who is also an representative for Donate Life , an initiative aimed at helping people understand organ donation.

The Donate Life website says that Australia is a world leader for successful transplant outcomes, yet has one of the lowest donation rates in the developed world. Around 1600 Australians are on the organ transplant waiting list.

Katrina, her family and many families like hers would like to see more people became organ donors. One organ donor can save or improve the lives of 10-12 people.

Katrina understands it can be a difficult subject to talk about but would like people to be open with family and friends about organ donation. Up to 43% of Australians do not know or are not sure of the donation wishes of their loved ones.

“The best thing people can do is to actually talk to your family and very close friends about it so that if ever you were in that unfortunate situation when you’re in ICU and you are declared brain dead and the question comes up about organ donation your family knows what you wanted, what your wishes are.”

“Because at the end of the day your family will have the final say,” she said.

Katrina is now involved with raising awareness about organ donation and has told a part of her story in the DonateLife Book of Life, a compilation of stories told by survivors and the families of the donors.

In an excerpt from her story, Katrina speaks of what it’s like to get a second lease on life:

“I am so blessed to be alive and life is an amazing adventure. Every day is precious and like many transplant recipients, I live life in the moment. I will always be incredibly grateful for the most generous gift any human being could give, a part of them that lives on to give another person a chance for a happy, healthy life.” DonateLife Book of Life.

“Receiving a transplant is basically a second chance at life. And it’s a huge, huge blessing. It really just gives another person a second chance on life. It’s a true gift of life.”

If you’re thinking of becoming an organ donor visit the Donate Life website for more information. The most important thing is to talk to your loved ones and make them aware of your wishes.

JCNN sat down with cycling veteran Maurie Zanker to find out how he recovered from a horrible accident to get back in the saddle.

By Hailey Renault

He’s described on his block as the fittest man in the neighbourhood – and he lives in a Condon retirement village.

Maurie Zanker’s home looks like all the others on the street, but for one exception – the bike tyre peeking out from under his garage door.

By looking at this wide-eyed, energetic man,  you would never suspect he’d been in a serious cycling accident just two months after his 71^st birthday in 2008.

There are no memories of the accident plastered on his walls, instead vivid paintings of vibrant red desert peas dot his modest retirement home.

He and his wife Sue are obviously missing the southern shores of Australia they used to call home.

Before moving to Townsville, the Zankers called South Australia home, where Maurie was a gifted winemaker.

He fondly recalls the year he first swung his leg over a ‘real’ bike.

“I probably started around 1989,” he reminisced.  “My son was in the navy, and he came home on leave and brought his triathlon bike back with him and said ‘dad, take this for a ride’.”

“I was so impressed. I had only been riding a steel frame, which is a really heavy bike, so this was quite an eye-opener. It’s what started me off.”

As a fit, healthy and proud 75-year-old, Maurie Zanker’s got a fighting spirit.

He recounts how in 2003 (at the tender age of 66) he rode from Townsville to Cairns in the Cancer Council’s annual charity ride.

“It was good for raising money but I wanted to punish myself more than the others. I just wanted to suffer like the kids were suffering,” Maurie lamented.

It was with this noble streak and passion for health and fitness that Maurie recovered from a nasty cycling accident after a ride one balmy December morning.

It was 6 o’clock, the witching hour for cyclists and fitness junkies. Maurie was riding back from the Kelso Dam with his usual group on a social training ride.

The group of lycra-clad men pedaled in perfect synchronicity, gliding over the dewy roads in two files. Maurie was tucked inside the pack, about four back from the front. No one could predict or avoid what happened next.

A dog ran out in front of the group and the chaos to avoid injury quickly descended into a mess of bikes and bodies. The leaders slammed on their brakes out of instinct, and those behind them only had a split second to react.

“Two bikes came down in front of me and I thought ‘Shit this doesn’t look good’,” Maurie said.

He was trapped. If he went right he would collide with another rider. If he went left he would crash into a ditch.

He had no choice but to stay on course, riding over fallen bikes strewn across the road in front of him.

“I heard the clatter as I hit the ground,” he said, “Then the bloke behind me crashed into me and cracked into my back.”

“I heard the sound of cleats clicking out of pedals and I thought I would just lie there for a few seconds and regain my composure,” he said with a grimace.

“But when it was time to get up, I couldn’t get up.”

Maurie knew something was wrong as his hip throbbed with extreme pain.

“The ambulance came and the guys gave me one of those green whistles,” Maurie recalled, “They’re absolutely magic, those things.”

The crash left him suffering from four hip fractures, a cracked rib and cracked pelvic and pubic bones. His recovery was long and slow, but it failed to dampen Maurie’s spirits. He was most annoyed about trading his fitness for bed rest.

RECOVERY: Maurie, in recovery, and his wife Sue on Christmas Day

“What was so frustrating was that the older you are, the faster you lose your fitness level and the longer it takes to regain that again,” he said.

Maurie knows he was lucky to recover though. At 71 years of age, a broken hip would usually be a death sentence, or at least get you an early entry into a home.

Maurie described how he was disappointed in the way the hospital dealt with his injuries.

“The doctors that saw to me didn’t give me any indication of how my recovery would go,” he chuffed. “They didn’t suggest I go see a physiotherapist or anything.

“I got the feeling that they told me what the problem was, they told me to rest and then it was just ‘see you later’.”

The reality is that in many cases, elderly patients like Maurie wouldn’t be able to do much to recover.

“I came back after the six weeks in bed and the guy said my hip was looking ok,” Maurie said.

“I asked him if I should be going to see a physiotherapist. He just said, “Just keep doing whatever you are doing”.

“Oh, so I can go ride up Castle Hill?” Maurie replied.

Since his accident, he’s been back on the bike and continues to ride, though his confidence to ride with a group has been irreparably damaged.

He said his friends and family were surprised at how fast he bounced back and could only attribute that to his fitness from cycling. Now at 75 years of age, Maurie is more keen to ride than ever.

“My fitness levels went down since after the accident, and also my blood pressure has gone up,” he said.

“I’m keen to get back into riding more soon to get these things back down.”

Maurie is a true testimony to the health benefits of staying active in your later years.  It may not get any easier to throw your leg over the saddle, but it will certainly pay off.

His slick black-and-yellow road bike still takes pride of place in his garage, and you can bet he still has a drawer full of matching jerseys and lycra Knicks, too.

For Maurie, cycling is more than a sport, it’s a way of life.

“I want to continue cycling for the fitness as well as the social aspect,” he said.

“I think it helps keep me young.”

JCU medicine students get hands-on experience treating members of the community at Vincent State School’s Free Community Health Project.

By Adrienne Curry

Last year, JCU medicine tutor Dr Nicole Mohajer, Vincent State School principal Christie Schmid and Australian charity The Smith Family joined forces to create the Free Community Health Project available for students and families at Vincent State School.

The project commenced earlier this year.

The Free Community Health Project aims to assist children establish developing healthy eating patterns and providing James Cook University medicine students the chance to gain experience in educating primary school children.

Dr Mohajer decided the project would be a good opportunity for fifth year medicine students in their General Practitioner (GP) term to exercise what they had learned at university and in placement.

“All GPs are expected to address obesity and dietary choices and to be able to work with their patients in managing lifestyle risks,” Dr Mohajer said.

“The fifth years spend most of their time in the hospital or GP clinic,” she said.

“This gives them an opportunity to also experience the wider community.”

The medical students practice dealing with children in a general practitioner’s position and teaching Vincent State School students healthy lifestyle habits.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES: Students learn healthy habits

The work includes making medical observations and measurements, documenting blood pressure and explaining recipes and health tips.

Dr Mohajer said this opportunity was a beneficial medical platform for JCU medicine students to interact face-to-face with patients.

“On the most basic level, they learn to interact with and explain difficult concepts to primary children.

“They also become aware of the social and cultural issues that affect families from lower socio-economic backgrounds – it will help them when they have patients in the future who may not stick to medical advice because of some of these reasons,” she said.

“Most importantly, it builds engagement and attachment to the community that the medical students are living in.”

Dr Mohajer said Vincent was chosen for its “poor health and development indices”. The project is available to everyone but has a high focus on indigenous health.

IN PRACTICE: JCU Medicine students interacting with kids at Vincent State School

“Everyone is well aware of the huge gaps in lifespan and the large burden chronic disease plays in the indigenous community,” Dr Mohajer said.

“The literature implies some of the reasons for this are fear of the medical profession, not understanding what doctors are talking about, access to clinics, no car, no time, no money or other things to do, and a lack of access to healthy foods.

“Many families have so many pressures on them – overcrowding, poverty, social and health issues, that the minor health complaints of children get neglected.

“We want to bridge the gap between families and the health profession,” she said.

Dr Mohajer said she was confident in the project and had expansion plans.

“There’s a lot of demand for this program in other schools and next year we are considering expanding the number of schools and involving other health profession students.”

She said she believed teaching children to be healthy was one of the most important aspects of life.

“Making healthy choices cheap, fun and easy is so important.”

Vincent State School principal Christie Schmid said the project was aimed at educating the students about healthy lifestyle choices.

“The broad aim of the project is to improve the health and wellbeing of our community as well as to facilitate access to health services,” she said.

“We aim for students and families to have more timely access to health services.”

The Smith Family charity focuses on working with children up to 12 years old in West Townsville.

Free check-ups with JCU medicine students are available until October 31 at Vincent State School every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 to 4pm.