Adrian Boyd, from Newtownabbey, is undertaking a gruelling 100 mile ultramarathon across Northern Ireland to help raise awareness for local charities.
One of these charities is Diabetes UK Northern Ireland and was chosen by Adrian as diabetes has affected members of his family and he wants to raise awareness about how serious it is.
On 4 and 5 June, Adrian will start his ultramarathon (called the Norn Iron 100) in Ballintoy, following the North Coast to Castlerock, on to Dungiven and via the Glenshane Pass on to the Sperrins and heading to the finish line in Gortin, outside Omagh.
Adrian Boyd said, ‘This is the ultimate endurance test, I will be passing over many terrains and elevations which adds significantly to the challenge. However, with the support of my family, friends, fellow runners and friends from my running club (Monkstown Spartans), I hope to complete the run within the allowed cutoff of 34 hours. My inspiration for this challenge is to support the charities, AWARE NI and Diabetes UK Northern Ireland, because I know how much they have supported, and continue to support other people in their challenging journeys.
‘Diabetes runs through my family and I have seen first-hand how serious diabetes can be and yet so many people just don’t understand it. I hope that this challenge helps others, not just from whatever I can fundraise, but so they know they aren’t alone when dealing with a relentless condition like diabetes.’
There are currently over 104,000 people living with diabetes in Northern Ireland and approximately 90% of those are living with type 2 diabetes. It is a relentless condition and if not managed well, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating complications, including sight loss.
Naomi Breen, Diabetes UK Northern Ireland Fundraising Manager, said, ‘We want to thank Adrian for his incredible support and for taking on this ultramarathon. We would also like to thank everyone who has been supporting Adrian and fundraising for people living with diabetes in Northern Ireland. Diabetes is a serious condition that affects so many families and Diabetes UK Northern Ireland is here to help. If you would like to talk to someone then please call our Helpline 0345 123 2399.’
Go to Adrian Boyd’s justgiving page if you would like to support his fundraising efforts https://justgiving.com/team/BoydNornIron100
