Westwood Town Clerk Runs for Diabetes

For 31 years, Westwood Town Clerk Dottie Powers has suffered from Type 1 diabetes.

That's why last year she decided to run in the Falmouth Road Race as a member of Team Joslin to race money for diabetes research. Powers had always been an active person, but she was never much of a runner; rather, she was more into yoga and spinning. But she looked at the 7-mile race as a challenge and a way to help find a cure for the disease.

"A lot of people run for personal goals, but this race we can run for a cause," Powers said. "I'm not looking to break records. I don't care if I finish last."

Last year Powers set a goal of raising $1,500, and she was able to surpass that and nearly reached $2,000. This Sunday she'll be running the race for a second time, and once again set $1,500 as her goal. As of late Wednesday night she was at $1,445.

As someone who is not an avid runner by nature, training for this event is very difficult and time-consuming. Powers usually goes to the track and does a combination of walking and running a couple of days each week. In addition, she also runs on a treadmill about twice per week. She also credits hot yoga, a form of yoga where they turn the temperature up to 100 degrees, with helping her flexibility.

"It's going to be more of a challenge this year because of the heat [leading up to the race]," Powers said, noting she had trained less because of how hot out it had been. "I'm really excited. I just want to do my own pace. Slow and steady."

The money raised from the Falmouth Road Race goes to the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, one of the world's most renowned diabetes research and clinical care organizations. Powers has been a patient there, which is one of her connections with the organization. In fact, she is a Patient Advocate on the Board of Directors at Joslin. In that position she has the opportunity to speak with doctors and nurses about diabetes treatment from a patient's perspective, something the medical professionals have been able to learn valuable information from.

"Whatever I can do down the road to help find a cure I'll do," Powers said. "It'll be nice to see a cure found during my lifetime."

For more information on the Falmouth Road Race or Joslin Diabetes Center, or if you would like to make a contribution to support diabetes research in support of Powers' run, please go to her fundraising page.

Are you or anyone you know from Westwood running in the Falmouth Road Race? Please tell us about it in the comments section below, and don't forget to send us any photos you may have.