My Dad is a Type 1 Diabetic and has been for 42 years. I have grown up witnessing how the medication has changed throughout the years for the  better, which proves research is going in the right direction. However, there still isn’t a cure. Diabetes requires daily insulin injections (4 a day), blood tests, the management of food, hypos and sometimes hypers. Untreated hypos or hypers can be fatal. Diabetes can also cause many other complications such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, feet problems (that can lead to amputations) and eye disease that can cause blindness.

My Dad was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 12 and spent a lot of his youth unwellin hospital. Diabetes just wasn’t as well understood and managed as it is today, he was even mis-diagnosed in the first instance which could have been deadly if not realised in time. He wasn’t expected to make it to 50, nor was anyone diagnosed at that time, but now 54, I can’t wait for him to see me cross the finish line in Paris.

I have wanted to raise money for Diabetes UK for years now, I used to think about doing a skydive, but thought that was too easy. I want to do something that will be a personal challenge, something that will push me and have me dedicate my time to train for it. Believe it or not, I’ve not always been this cyclist/athlete that you see today!! I only started cycling last year, with the aim to take part in this event this year. I am training quite hard and I’m finding it challenging and tiring both mentally and physically. Please sponsor whatever you can for this charity that funds research, awareness and support to a disease close to mine and my family's hearts x