The Sugarplum Wadi Rum Challenge - 100km to Raise £100k to Mark 100 Years of Insulin

Last November, myself and 11 other women took on the Wadi Rum challenge to mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin.  100km over 5 days, averaging 20km per day, over a challenging landscape of sand dunes, stony plains,  dry river beds,  and finishing each day camping under starlight in the Desert  - a life-changing experience for all of us.  Almost all those who walked along side me  are affected by type 1 diabetes in some way - whether they live with the condition themselves, are a parent of a child who has been diagnosed, or are simply friends with a family affected by it.  As we have stood by each other's side during this gruelling type 1 journey so far, we took on this new challenge in the hope that by walking together we would raise vital funds needed to help change the lives of all the brave little stars who are faced with the daily ordeal of needles, blood testing and carb counting needed purely to stay alive. 

I founded Sugarplum Children in  2013 after our daughter Aliena was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of just two and a half. 

2021 marks 100 years since the discovery of insulin, one of the greatest medical break-throughs in history; before then, anyone diagnosed with the condition would, simply put, die within a few months.  We will be embarking on this 100km challenge with the aim to raise £100k for JDRF and to celebrate this extraordinary discovery in the hope that the money raised will help to fund further such life changing break-throughs  as well as raise awareness for those affected by this illness. 

"Just as important as raising funds to help find the cure for type 1 diabetes, is raising awareness about this unrelenting condition and acting as a mouthpiece for those who are too little to shout about it themselves."

Type 1 diabetes is a life threatening and lifelong autoimmune condition that affects 400,000 in the UK and more than 29,000 are children. Sugarplum Children passionately fundraises for JDRF, the world's leading type 1 diabetes research charity.

sugarplumchildren.com

jdrf.org.uk