Did you know that an estimated 5million people in the UK alone are living with diabetes, that’s around 11% of the UK population - and what’s scary is that many don’t even know it?

In April 2024, I became one of them - diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and a hba1c of 84.

The first few months were dark - I wanted support and had nowhere to turn, the NHS was overwhelmed and provision of care is frankly a minefield.

I came to realise that if I wanted to beat this, I would have to be the one to figure out how. My north star was simple - live long enough to hold my grandchildren.

And so I sponged information - from any source I could find. As a data nerd I thrived on CGM (continuous glucose monitors that show real time blood glucose data) technology, diarising my food and using data science to work out how to optimise my lifestyle to not just manage my diabetes, but beat it.

And it began with a step - walking around the village where I live. Ten minutes per day became 90. The gym became my best friend and food took on a new meaning to me.

And the result? 16 inches off my waistline, over 43kg in weight and eliminating conditions I thought I’d be stuck with for the rest of my life. But what really topped it all was In December 2024 - some 8 months after my diagnosis - I reduced my hba1c to 39 - and have held it since - in clinical remission without ever having taken a single pill.

This has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do, I have wanted to renege so many times I have lost count but my family and friends have kept me strong when my own will wavered - and to you I want to simply say, thank you. It means more to me than I can put into words.

I am doing this challenge to help raise money so nobody ever finds themselves as I did - alone in the face of a life altering disease - but also as a nod to what helped me beat it.

If you are reading this then I want to thank you reading my story (and having the patience to get through all that text!) and your support for this cause.

Satpal