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Lara to hike 100km coastline in two days

Lara-Jayne Hooper is getting ready to hike 100km to support us this summer.

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Lara, 27, from Swansea, is taking part in the Jurassic Coast Challenge this June.

Challengers will cover more than 60 miles over two days, walking from Poole to Bridport in Dorset.

Lara is walking to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes . Her boyfriend, Rob Davies, 29, was diagnosed with the condition aged 10.

Managing an active lifestyle

Lara said, “Rob plays rugby for Hendy RFC but finds it difficult to manage his diabetes alongside his active lifestyle. He feels it limits how well he can perform on the pitch, as he finds it hard to keep his blood sugars level when playing.

“We ran the Swansea Bay 10K last year and he had to dash into a coffee shop part-way through to get something to eat, as he could feel his sugar levels dropping. It’s hard seeing him struggle but I do my best to encourage him.

“I believe more needs to be done to help people with Type 1 diabetes manage. I’ve seen just how crippling and exhausting the physical and emotional impact can be. I hope that taking part in this challenge will help Diabetes UK Cymru support others like Rob, as well as fund more research into Type 1 diabetes.”

“It’s like training for a marathon”

Lara has been training hard for the challenge, which takes place on the 8th and 9th of June.

Lara continued, “It’s like training for a marathon. I’m training five times a week. I hope to get up to 22 miles before the challenge itself.

"It can be difficult to fit it around work but Rob has to manage his Type 1 constantly, every day. Knowing what he has to go through motivates me to keep going.”

We’re so grateful to Lara for taking on such an enormous challenge. Every step she takes and every penny she raises will help us to continue to support people across Wales living with diabetes.

To sponsor Lara, click here.

For more information on managing Type 1 diabetes and sport, click here.

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