Exmouth man aims to raise £50k to mark 50 years with type 1 diabetes

Colin Rowland, 58, of Exmouth is undertaking a series of impressive fundraising challenges over the coming months to raise funds for the type 1 diabetes charity JDRF.

Colin is taking on the challenges this year especially as 2016 is his 50th diaversary – 50 years since he was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition type 1 diabetes.

His multitude of fundraising challenges began with the Paris Marathon, which he completed on 3 April in an impressive 4 hours 40 minutes. Colin or Twinkle (his running nickname), then completed the London Marathon and will go on to complete events across the UK including the Great North Run and Henley Mile Swim.

His next event is the Three Peaks Challenge this weekend (20 August).

Colin’s challenges are not limited to the UK. The fundraising hero will enter in the Berlin Marathon in the autumn and complete the seven months of challenges with the New York Marathon in November. Around one month after this, Colin will celebrate his fifty year diaversary and hopes to have raised £50,000 to support vital type 1 diabetes research.

Colin is undertaking these challenges to raise funds to support type 1 research but also to show young children with type 1 diabetes that the condition need not prevent them from taking on challenges such as marathons.

Colin was told as a young boy after being diagnosed in 1966 that he couldn’t do physical education classes at school. He hopes these challenges will inspire young children with the condition and raise awareness of type 1 diabetes and the need to back further research into the condition.

Speaking about this significant year, Colin said: "Having lived with type 1 diabetes from the age of eight and upon entering my 50th year in 2016 I felt that the occasion was worth celebrating with JDRF as the pioneering diabetes charity that sits at the forefront of type 1 research into finding a cure.

"I wanted to participate in a variety of challenge events that would both push me and hopefully inspire young people, who also live with the condition, to aspire to reach and surpass their own expectations in life, and having witnessed the significant research breakthroughs that have taken place in the last 10 years alone, I am convinced that we are on the cusp of finding a cure."

Lee Newman, from JDRF added: "Colin is a JDRF super-supporter! The next seven months of fundraising prove how committed Colin is to raising awareness of type 1 diabetes and raising funds to support type 1 diabetes research. We are so grateful to Colin for everything he is doing for JDRF and for everyone who lives with type 1 diabetes."

Colin’s JustGiving page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/50yearsandstillrunning