A man from Camrose, West Wales has cycled 953 miles to Spain, to raise vital funds and awareness of Type 1 diabetes for Diabetes UK Cymru.
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Scott Goddard, 35, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 18.
He took on the 16 day trip with his brother, Grant, and friend Raymond McGarty. The trio spent three days cycling from Camrose to Pool and then biked down the west coast of France before arriving at their final destination, San Sebastian, on August 26.
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Scott said:
“The ride was a phenomenal experience. We cycled 70 miles every day, with two rest days in between. Cycling through the endless French countryside and coastal villages was amazing and the people we met along the way were so supportive and positive.
“We cycled some of the routes of the Tour de France. The final part of the trip was the most difficult as we had to cycle 76 miles through mountains to get across the border from France to Spain, but I loved every minute of it.”
Scott has now raised £2,280 for Diabetes UK Cymru, and hopes his experience will inspire other people living with Type 1 to get on their bikes.
Scott continued, “I had a lot of anxiety about living with diabetes and developed a huge fear of exercise because I was afraid of having a really bad hypo, but I’ve now found that exercise plays a huge role in helping me to manage the condition.
“I’ve always had a passion for anything with two wheels, and started training for this journey four months ago. Of course I had to monitor my blood glucose along the way, but that was far easier with my Continuous Glucose Monitor because I didn’t even have to stop cycling to check my levels.”
“The trip has left me with a sense of liberation. It made me realise what my body can do. You can achieve so much and do whatever you put your mind to. When you ask the right questions and trust how you are feeling the body will get you through. The technology we now have to monitor blood glucose is amazing, I was able to work with my local NHS nutritionists during training and provide them with uploads from my blood glucose monitor, a device that sits under my skin which measures my blood glucose levels continuously. They provided me with excellent advice and guidance – I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that affects around 19,000 adults in Wales. People with the condition don’t produce the hormone insulin, which is responsible for controlling the amount of glucose in the blood. Nobody knows what causes Type 1 diabetes and it isn’t currently preventable. If not managed well, it can lead to devastating complications, including lower limb amputation, kidney failure and stroke.
Dai Williams, National Director, Diabetes UK Cymru, said, “We’re really grateful to Scott for taking on this incredible challenge. It’s inspiring to hear how well Scott manages his condition on a daily basis, and how much effort he put into completing his 950 mile bike ride.
“The money Scott has raised will help us fund ground-breaking research, care services and campaigns to change the lives of people with diabetes across Wales, and their families.”
