Not a lot of people know this but I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 16 years old. I believe the stress of GCSEs at this time is what brought it on - not because I ate too many sweets or had a bad diet (this is what most people believe) plus it is hereditary.

I have never let diabetes hold me back - the day I was diagnosed I had a few tears, because I didn’t know how I was going to manage it, especially since I loved sports so much. But the day after, I sat my last GCSE in hospital and the weekend after, I played midfield in an U16 All Ireland semi final for Derry. The support from the staff in Altnagelvin when I was newly diagnosed and my family allowed me to manage my diabetes as effectively as possible. I have good days and I have bad days, especially when just about everything (stress, sports, exams, sickness, weather, the way something is cooked) has an impact on it. This 62 mile challenge will require a lot of insulin changes and a lot of glucose but it’s a challenge I am willing to take on - anyone is free to join me for a run at some point 😊.

I want to raise money for this charity as the research put into this makes my life and many more others lives much more manageable each day - instead of pricking my finger using the glucose monitor, I have the use of a Dexcom which is a Bluetooth device which tells me my blood glucose levels. I am also on the list for a pump which will mean I won’t have to inject myself every time I eat. These are just 2 of the wonderful things that researchers have come up with to make daily life, playing sports and working much more manageable for diabetics. So please donate, as I want to give back and raise even more money for life changing research.

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