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 Carleton Albert, Sr.
Albuquerque Area Representative
Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee
By Cecelia Kayano
Recently a young woman came up to Carleton Albert, Sr., shook his hand and said, “I will always remember you, and what you did for me.”
Carleton knew who she was but had forgotten one incident: He had met her when she was 10 years old. Carleton was a coach and was taking a group of youth to a track meet in Albuquerque. The girl thought she couldn’t go because she didn’t have a sleeping bag. Carleton didn’t hesitate and said, “We’ll find you a sleeping bag.”
The girl went to the track meet and participated. Now the young woman has children. “Because of what you did, I tell them nothing is impossible,” she says.
“I never realized the impact of my statement,” reflects Carleton. “I never thought something as small as a sleeping bag could be a barrier.”
Removing Barriers
Carleton has faced barriers much greater than a sleeping bag. Carleton has always loved running. He was a long distance runner in high school and college. A few years ago, he was literally stopped in his tracks by walking pneumonia. “I was afraid to even ride a bike,” he says. “It broke me down.”
Carleton eventually overcame pneumonia, but it left him with asthma, which affects how much he can exercise. These conditions have given him empathy for people struggling with health issues such as diabetes.
“To fight diabetes, a person needs an understanding of self,” says Carleton. “We need to find the time to take care of ourselves in healthy ways. Everything goes back to the self, to owning up to who you are, taking care of yourself, and moving forward.”
Being Responsible
Carleton believes one of his responsibilities is to role model a healthy lifestyle with behaviors that prevent diabetes. “Every day, I ask myself: Am I role-modeling what I say? Am I walking the talk?” he says.
Carleton acts on his words daily. At the Pueblo of Zuni, he rides his bike and works out at the local fitness center. He says, “I hope youth and adults see a person who is trying to portray self-discipline and acts in moderation.” He also hopes they overlook it when he has an occasional soda pop, and admits, “I still have my faults, and am trying to cut out the soda.”
Listening, Then Acting to Help
Carleton says he is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the TLDC. He hopes he is making a strong, positive impact as a tribal leader, by doing what he says, by listening to the needs of the people, and by removing barriers to healthy lifestyles—no matter how small.
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