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Robert Ngataierua

Shift worker Robert Ngataierua is setting goals to live healthier and take control of his type two diabetes.

Robert is a 61 year-old train driver for KiwiRail and sitting is a big part of his job. Being a type two diabetes patient, his nurse from 169 Medical Centre in Palmerston North referred him to the Green Prescription (GRx) programme.

As a shift worker, Robert sometimes finds it hard to make it to all the GRx weekly 10am sessions: "I would get to bed at 11pm and be too tired to come".

Robert keeps going by trying to make an alternate session later in the week: "I have the option of going to the Thursday sessions too".

Robert admits that he hasn't been very active since 20 years ago when he gave up rugby: "I did a little bit of swimming and walking but it wasn't adequate". Since starting GRx he has increased his activity: "I find I do a lot of walking. I do either an hour walk or a 20minute walk; so if it's raining I do the 20minute".

The improvements in Robert's health since starting GRx have been significant. "I feel a lot of difference...I have been swimming for the last two years and I swim more now. When I started out I weighed 104Kg and at the moment I'm 99 to 100," says Robert.

Learning how to be active with his condition has helped Robert as he says "there are people who come to speak to us, there was a diabetes lady who came and talked, and a dietician too". Robert emphasises that if he wanted to come in by himself he could as he says the programme is "good for learning how to use the machines... it gives me the skills to know what to do and how to do it".

Robert is continuing to work hard and has set a new personal goal of 100 lengths of the pool by the end of the week. So far he's done 40 and aims to do another 15 today. Robert goes to the CLM gym and the Lido pool.