In May last year my girlfriend Jen and I climbed Mount Kenya for Diabetes UK. We raised over £5,000 for the charity and I became the first type 1 diabetic to climb this mountain for Diabetes UK. We experienced extreme heat, extreme cold, rain and rats scurrying around in the very basic mountain huts, not to mention altitude sickness and physical tiredness of climbing nearly 5000 metres into the African sky. 

(Visit https://www.runningsweetonkenya.com,  to read about how we trained, the equipment we used and how we prepared for the climb of Mt. Kenya and others since). 

The whole point of these adventures is to be part of a wider community of type 1 diabetics who are showing through a variety of challenges  that  diabetes does not stop people from living their lives. Myself, like many others would have been told that these adventures were not possible due to our illness. However, people around the UK and the world are changing that perception, and at the same time raising money to find a cure for this illness. 

Now it's time to return to Africa to attempt to climb its highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. 

Standing at 5,895m and one of the seven summits, this mountain will take 8 days to complete. We will have to battle through heat, freezing temperatures and four more days of climbing – compared to Mt. Kenya. As a type 1 diabetic the challenge to climb a high altitude mountain is extreme, the challenge to climb one of the highest mountains in the world is another level. I will have to change my whole medication regime, ward off the effects of insulin resilience (a symptom of high altitude) and ensure all my medication and equipment doesn’t freeze. Undoubtedly this will be the hardest challenge of my life and it all begins on 20 September this year. 

The point of this challenge is to raise £1,500 for the charity to find a cure. I will be posting videos of the climb, and blogs on the Diabetes UK website as well as this just giving-page in order to create a blueprint for other type 1 diabetics to follow. 

People have asked me, why go through the pain and danger again, why push yourself even further? 

That’s simple, diabetes should not stop you from living your life.