On this episode I spoke with Duncan Read, who knows first-hand how type 1 diabetes makes life and sport harder, but he’s positive and thinks, in fact, he’s fitter for having it.
Duncan’s life is full, but he sees himself as a pretty regular guy with a passion for his family and sport.
He has a busy career and has worked in England, the Middle East and Africa.
AND He’s also adventurous when it comes to sport – and he never turns down a sporting challenge.
Duncan was diagnosed with diabetes in 1986 when he was 14 and since then, he’s calculated he probably has had over 36,000 insulin injections and 60,000 blood glucose tests.
He knows first-hand how type 1 makes life and sport harder, but he’s positive and thinks – in fact – he is fitter for having it.
Duncan takes his body, mind and type 1 to surprising extremes and in 2013 he ran six marathon’s in six days in Australia’s Simpson Desert. He’s done several more endurance races and adventures since then.
He says he thrives on them and is better at them because of type 1 diabetes.
He’s learned plenty from his experiences with Type 1 diabetes, that he’s passionate about sharing with others.
He had mixed feelings when diagnosed, but he just got on with life and tried not to let it change him.
In the early days there’s a lot to learn about nutrition, how to manage insulin and when to test your blood. But now, it’s just routine – it’s second nature.
Duncan claims to feel fitter for having it than he would have been from not having diabetes.
He exercises a lot, and is careful about what he eats, and more resilient from the extra challenges diabetes brings.
Duncan has gone on to more long races, and staged running adventures. Each one pushes him to his limits, bringing out the best in him. He has stated: They take you to incredible highs and points on the race that almost crush you. That’s a bit like the relentless and every day moments of living with Type 1.
Duncan lives in Sydney, Australia.
He has supportive wife, and two children. And wants to share his experiences to inspire others more recently diagnosed with diabetes, or even without, especially kids, that anything is possible.
Check out more about Duncan at https://www.fitterforhavingit.com/
Listen to more ‘Ready! Set! Goal! with Donna Campisi’ podcast at: https://donnacampisi.com/ready-set-goal/
To contact Donna Campisi to speak at your next event, go to: https://donnacampisi.com/contact/
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