52 year old Paul’s adventure has been made possible thanks to a grant awarded by The Bayer Diabetes Care Dreamfund. He impressed judges with his pledge to show other people living with diabetes that the condition doesn’t have to ‘hold you back’.
Paul, from Southsea, had a dream of cycling across Europe to educate fellow diabetes patients about the importance of diabetes monitoring and management as well as raising funds for Diabetes UK. From this, the Bayer Diabetes Care European Cycle Challenge was born!
Paul sets off on his 2,000 mile cycle challenge on Saturday 2nd May from Portsmouth. He will make his way to France, through Belgium and Holland and across Germany, before passing through the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. He’ll continue his cycle through Romania and Bulgaria, and will finish his challenge in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday 2nd June.
Paul says “In terms of my training programme, the hardest part for me is to achieve the right balance for my blood glucose levels which will enable me to perform at my best. With the help of Dr Ian Gallen (top consultant for Sir Steve Redgrave), I have found my optimum blood glucose which allows me to ride most efficiently and effectively. ”
Paul is now averaging 194 miles a week to help him prepare for a target of 70 miles a day for 30 days. He has changed his diet drastically to help his body prepare for the amount of energy he will be using on a daily basis. To get his body ready for his challenge, he needs a high volume of carbohydrates and liquids including energy drinks and shakes.
On hearing about Paul’s challenge, five time gold medallist, Sir Steve Redgrave, sent him a message of support: “I wish you all the best for your European Cycle Challenge. Raising awareness of diabetes and re-iterating that the condition can be managed in order for you to achieve your life goals is something which I truly believe in. When I was diagnosed with diabetes leading up to the Sydney Olympics, I was devastated as people told me that I would never be able to compete at that level again. However with the right advice, commitment to achieve and a positive attitude to overcome the barriers, anything is possible and anyone with the condition should take that on board and realise what they are capable of achieving.”
Paul adds; “This ride will be really tough and I will still have to monitor my blood glucose on a very regular basis, often up to 8 times a day. I will be using a BREEZE 2 blood glucose monitor to continuously keep my diabetes in check. Now that I have found my optimum level to allow me to ride at my best I can’t wait to begin my 2,000 mile journey – bring it on!”
There are currently over 2.3 million people with diabetes in the UK and there are more than half a million people who have the condition and don’t know it. There are estimated to be more than 50 million living with diabetes across Europe.
A representative from Bayer Diabetes Care says; “Paul really is an inspiration and we’re delighted to do all we can to help make his dream come true and to prove that living with diabetes doesn’t have to hold you back.”
ENDS
For further information about the DreamFund, Paul’s route or to arrange an interview / photo with Paul please contact Caroline Beswick or Jo Hudson at Trinity PR on 020 8786 3860 / 0770 948 7959: jo.hudson@trinitypr.co.uk
Notes to Editors
The Bayer Diabetes Care DreamFund – which has been running since 2006 – is a unique competition, offering people with diabetes the opportunity to apply for a grant to help them make their ‘dreams come true’.
Bayer Diabetes Care offers a range of No Coding™ Technology blood glucose monitors to increase patients’ confidence that results reflect true blood glucose levels. The latest products include:
- Bayer’s Contour to help patients to manage their condition and give them the freedom to enjoy their everyday lives
- Bayer’s BREEZE®2 boasts key features to increase convenience for users including a 10-test disc system that delivers results within just 5 seconds – ideal for people who want to test on the go.
Bayer Diabetes Care (BDC) is one of the world’s market leaders in the field of blood glucose monitoring systems. It has provided devices and test strips for blood glucose monitoring for more than 40 years. These products are used by people with diabetes to monitor their blood glucose safely and conveniently both at home and on the move. For more information visit www.bayerdiabetes.co.uk.
Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin. This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40. Type 1 diabetes is the least common of the two main types and accounts for between 5 – 15% of all people with diabetes.