A DIABETIC athlete took on Taunton spring sunshine with a little help from the town’s schoolchildren as part of a bid to complete 25 marathons in one month.
Gavin Griffiths completed his fifth marathon yesterday (April 18) starting and finishing at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital.
The self-styled ‘DiAthlete’ is running the marathons all around the United Kingdom to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes, with a fundraising target of £10,000 as well.
If successful, this will be Gavin’s 100th event to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes.
Gavin, 26, from Kent has Type 1 diabetes and has struggled to come to terms with his condition since he was diagnosed when he was just eight.
He was initially told that playing the sports he loved could have serious risks to his health.
The condition means his pancreas is unable to produce insulin and has a high incidence of mental health related issues in young people.
He said: “I started in Kent, in Maidstone, and then went to Brighton, then Portsmouth, Southampton, and now we’re in Taunton.”
Gavin paused for lunch at Taunton's Eat The Bird
Gavin was joined for some of his Taunton run by pupils from Richard Huish College, Trull Primary school and Taunton Academy.
He said: “It really gives you a lift, and it just makes you forget the pain for a bit.”
Professor Rob Andrews, a consultant in diabetes at Musgrove Park Hospital and Catherine Thompson, lead diabetes research nurse at Musgrove, also joined Gavin for part of his marathon.
Dr Andrews said: “The worry about having low glucose levels when exercising can be prevent some patients with Type 1 from exercising and some health care professional from encouraging patients with Type 1 diabetes to do exercise particular endurance events.
“By doing 25 marathons in a month Gavin will help to breakdown these barriers and show that will good planning there are no limits to what patients with Type 1 diabetes can do.”
Catherine added: “Gavin is making such a valuable contribution to the diabetes community by promoting exercise and showing that Type 1 diabetes hasn’t held him back in striving for personal achievement.
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to support him in his run.”
The DiAthlete will be heading to Bristol next, before he starts travelling around Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
The 25-marathon man will take on his final run in London on May 13.
One of Gavin's global efforts
Gavin added: “If I complete this, I will have done 100 awareness events in my life.
“I have been quite frustrated with training. I have had so much on. I have got another global project after this.
“That will be fundraising for League of Diabetes. We have a programme to support type 1 diabetes. We have advocates from six continents trying to make workshops more fun and engaging.
“It is an international cause and it is more for those poorer countries.”
Gavin’s current challenge has so far raise £2,500, a quarter of the final goal, and he hopes that will rise as he travels and the country and when he completes the final run.
For more information or to support the DiAthlete’s fundraising, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/diathlete100.
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