Ben and Andy are bothing running the Yorkshire Marathon in 2022 in support of JDRF.

Andy's daughter (Ben's neice) was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2019. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body kills the beta cells that produce insulin (Type 2 Diabetes has different causes, and the insulin cannot reach the cells to release energy).

Apart from the immediate risk to life, it requires a lifetime of insulin injections and careful control of glucose levels to manage. Long term effects include blindness, loss of limbs and kidney failure. There is also an immediate risk from high blood sugar levels, causing ketacidosis, where the blood becomes acidic, resulting in organ failure. Low blood sugars can be equally deadly, with loss of consciousness and death as the body is starved of energy.

Sugar is a medicine for Type 1 Diabetics! Injections or pump alterations are constant. Life is a constant balance of food, blood sugar levels and insulin input.