Zhang Leting was the only Chinese among the 25 Global Heroes selected by Medtronic in 2010, and he is also a diabetes patient.
Recently, Medtronic announced that it is currently recruiting long-distance runners who have benefited from medical technology worldwide to participate in its eighth annual Medtronic Global Hero event.
According to the introduction, the “Global Hero” program recruits long-distance runners who are chronic disease patients with implanted medical devices, including those with heart disease, diabetes, spinal conditions, neurological disorders, and more. Medtronic will provide travel arrangements such as airfare and accommodation for each selected runner and one accompanying guest. The 31st Annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend will be held from October 4 to 6, 2013.
Wang Zhengzhen, a professor at Beijing Sport University, said that The New England Journal of Medicine once published an article stating that due to a sedentary lifestyle, chronic diseases common in adults are now prevalent among American teenagers, and predicted that without intervention, this generation of children will live five years less than their parents. Entering the 21st century, the biggest public health issue is lack of exercise and physical activity, and people in China are also facing the same challenge due to changes in lifestyle. Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly have longer telomere lengths in their chromosomes compared to those who exercise less, providing strong evidence that exercise delays aging.