Lap the Map was an event historically created by Lions Australia to help raise awareness for diabetes.  

This year, Australian Lions Hearing Dogs are taking the reins and raising money for our Medical Alert Dog program that provides Diabetic Alert Dogs to Australians with type 1 diabetes, free of charge. We encourage community groups and individuals to track their daily progress and together we will ‘Lap the Map’ of Australia as many times as we can. This is the perfect opportunity to take yourself, or your dog, out for a walk and get those steps up. 

Anyone can get involved! We encourage people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to join us. There are many ways you can Lap the Map, as long as you're tracking those kms - whether it's walking, running, riding, kayaking, outside, on the treadmill, swimming, or any other activity, we hope you will join us in your favourite way. 

Well, firstly, for people living with type 1 diabetes! Australian Lions Hearing Dogs is the only provider of Diabetic Alert Dogs that does not charge a cent to the recipient. We know just how expensive living with a chronic disease can be, the expenses of technology and medication is enough as it is. Each dollar we raise through Lap the Map will support our Medical Alert Dog program to ensure we can continue to provide Diabetic Alert Dogs free-of-charge to Australians in need. 

Secondly, exercising will boost your general health and fitness. It is great for improving cardiovascular fitness and bone density, as well as increased muscle strength and flexibility. Clearly, we don't have to run a marathon to take advantage of these benefits, however, setting yourself a (our) marathon goal will ensure motivation!

Lap the Map will run throughout the month of November, coinciding with World Diabetes Day.

Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body either cannot produce insulin, sufficient insulin, or is not able to effectively use the insulin it can produce, resulting in varying glucose levels in the blood that can cause long-term health complications.

More than 1.3 million Australians lived with diabetes in 2021, that's 1 in 20.*

Diabetes contributed to 11% of all deaths in 2022.*

*Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's pancreas does not produce insulin. Onset is common in children and young people, and symptoms include excessive thirst and urination, unexplained weight loss, weakness, fatigue, and blurred vision. Type 1 diabetes is challenging to manage, especially for young people with changing hormones, exercise, and lifestyle factors. At times, there are no known reasons for fluctuations in blood glucose levels, causing sporadic and dangerous fluctuations requiring regular monitoring and care.

Type 1 diabetes, if not treated, can lead to Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) or Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), both of which can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal. Early intervention is crucial, with many type 1 diabetics managing their illness with the use of medication, technology, and Diabetic Alert Dogs.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body loses capacity to produce sufficient insulin in the pancreas, causing blood glucose levels to vary and often rise.

Type 2 diabetes can be associated with lifestyle, or genetics, and in some cases can be warned through ‘pre-diabetes’, with lifestyle changes sometimes able to stop or stall onset of the condition. 

Gestational diabetes occurs in 5-10% of women during pregnancy, and in most cases, does not continue after the birth of their child. Some women continue to have issues managing their blood glucose levels after birth, however, management is crucial to ensure both mum and baby are healthy and the risk of any complications is reduced where possible. 

A Diabetic Alert Dog is an Assistance Dog specially trained for the purpose of detecting blood glucose level (BGL) changes in their recipient. 

Scent Detection
A Diabetic Alert Dog is trained to detect any changes in their recipient's blood glucose levels (BGL). When a recipient's blood glucose level changes, a scent chemical is omitted through their breath. Upon detecting this scent, a Diabetic Alert Dog would sit by their recipient's side and touch them on the leg with a one-paw alert touch.

Tasks
A Diabetic Alert Dog is also trained to conduct a variety of tasks that will support their recipient to stay well and safe, managing their blood glucose levels effectively.

The Hypokit Retrieve is a task taught so that if the recipient feels fatigue as a result of any changes in their BGL, they can use the command 'bring' and the Diabetic Alert Dog will go and fetch a hypokit containing sugar sources and/or medications for their recipients.

The Go Get command can be given to the Diabetic Alert Dog to retrieve another member of the household for assistance. The Diabetic Alert Dog would find them in the house before touch-alerting them on the leg and leading them back to the recipient. 

The emergency phone button can be installed by Australian Lions Hearing Dog to be used by the Diabetic Alert Dog. In extreme cases, where the recipient may fall unconscious or unresponsive, Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to run to the wall-mounted button, pressing it, where it will dial a series of pre-stored numbers for notification. 

Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained by our team of highly skilled Assistance Dog trainers, who use both positive reinforcement and treats to shape each dog’s behaviour and skill.  

Dogs chosen for the program are anywhere from eight weeks of age, through to 12 months of age, based on their temperament, trainability, and suitability for the training and role required. 

Why not! Lap the Map is a great opportunity to get moving in whichever way you enjoy and are able to. You can Lap the Map solo, or you can join up with your friends, community groups, Lions Clubs, and more to move your body, share and raise awareness of the disease, and raise some much-needed funds to help us continue providing Diabetic Alert Dogs to Australians in need. 

Complete the registration of interest if you would like to be kept in the loop with the event’s progress and unfolding between now and November!

We promise we won’t bombard you with emails, and if you receive a call, it will be from a member of our team, no telemarketing agencies! Knowing you are interested in being involved helps us to prepare for the event, and share exciting news with you as it comes to light.

The circumference of the map of Australia is 25,760kms, which is a huge hike, so we certainly don’t expect that!

Lap the Map is a collective initiative, we hope that everyone that gets involved will do their part to collectively add to as many Laps of the Map as possible during the month of November. You can Lap the Map of the block you live on each day, or you can Lap the Map of your local shops or think bigger! We appreciate your participation regardless of length and distance. 

When official registrations open, we will ask you to join up as you wish, as either an individual or in a team. A page will be created for you, and you will get to customise your page with your very own info! Once November hits, you can start Lapping the Map, enter your kms into your page, and reach out to your contacts to open their hearts and their pockets to support you on your journey – and us to continue providing Diabetic Alert Dogs free of charge! 

You can express your interest anytime from now through the ‘Register your Interest’ page; doing so will unlock early announcements and additional information that we’re sure will motivate you and keep you excited to be involved.  

Official registrations will open in September, and you can register anytime between then and November, hopefully joining before the beginning of November to get the full experience throughout the month. 

Fundraising can commence from when you register, there is no limit! Fundraising will remain open from registration through until early-mid December. 

Not at all! Go as hard as you like, as early as you like. We will provide tools and resources to help you on your journey, and the more you raise, the more Diabetic Alert Dogs we can provide to those living with diabetes. There’s no limit!