Mike Gardiner

Fourteen years ago, Mike was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Rather than see it as a death sentence, Mike took it as a wakeup call and made some significant changes to his life.

First, Mike gave up smoking after 40 years.

With the money he saved he rewarded himself with a new bike and a whole new world opened up. Mike started off riding the local rail trails, doing the 30 km High Country Rail Trail around Lake Hume, then a two-day 100 km ride from Bright to Wangaratta.

With improved fitness, he challenged himself by registering in Australia's most epic charity cycling event, the MS Gong Ride Fundraiser from Sydney to Wollongong. Next on Mike’s bucket list was the Great Victorian Bike Ride, 694 km along the Great Ocean Road which he described as magnificent.

After successfully mastering bike riding, Mike transitioned to walking as a new activity participating in a the six-day Camino Salvado – a pilgrimage from Subiaco to Perth to New Norcia. On a more local level Mike has scaled Table Top Mountain and Mount Kosciuszko. “I have “climbed” Mt Kosciuszko. I put the climbed in apostrophes as it is really a walk. The only part that has any level of difficulty is the last 1 kms from Rawson Pass to the peak. It is a 13 kms walk,” says Mike.

Mike also made changes to his eating habits. “My diet needed to be improved. I had a really sweet tooth,” says Mike. “I swapped pizza and soft drink for home made healthier options such as soaps and salads.”

Exercise and healthy eating proved to offer significant benefits to Mike with improved physical but also mental well-being. “Exercise has been great for my mental health, because I have had a lifelong battle with depression,” explained Mike. “One of the keys to living well in later years is being socially engaged. Getting out and talking to people has provided me with a sense of belonging, purpose, and identity, which are essential for a fulfilling life.”

Mike is challenging the ageing stereotype depicting later life as a time of ill health, loneliness, dependency, and poor physical and mental functioning. “A lot of people would see being diagnosed with diabetes as a negative, but for me it has created a lot of positive experiences,” says Mike. “I’ve never felt better and at seventy-two that is a flex!”

Mike in his spare time works casually for Racing NSW, is an active member of the Albury Wodonga Diabetes Group and an Ageing Well Ambassador for Howlong. He recently started a new social group, ‘Mix n Mingle’ at the Howlong Golf Resort, providing a relaxed environment for Howlong residents to connect with others, share stories, and enjoy each other's company over a cup of coffee.