Exmouth teenager to cycle 600 miles to help other young people with diabetes

A young cyclist from Exmouth will be taking on a 600-mile cycle challenge next month to help fund an activities weekend for young people living with diabetes.

Josh Parnell, 15, has Type 1 Diabetes himself but is determined to not let that stop him from cycling 100 miles-a-week for six weeks – 100 miles for each of the six years he has lived with the condition.

He’ll be jumping in the saddle on March 1 and hopes to complete his challenge by April 12 through a mix of road cycling with dad James and indoor cycling on his turbo trainer.

Mum Kay said Josh was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes aged nine but it hadn’t stopped him from doing anything, including cycling, playing football for Lympstone Football Club and also qualifying as football referee with Devon FA.

“Diabetes is part of Josh but he doesn’t let it control him,” she said.

“He lives life to the full; he wears a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that is connected to his mobile phone to monitor his blood sugars. The CGM is connected to an insulin pump which delivers the insulin Josh needs.

“He loves a challenge and has done a few sponsored cycles and walks for other diabetes-related charities in the past but this time, he wants to support the Paediatric Diabetes Team at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (RD&E), who have been absolutely amazing since his diagnosis.”

The money Josh is able to raise will support the team’s efforts to organise a residential activities weekend for a group of 25 young people with Type 1 diabetes at River Dart Country Park this June. He has already raised more than £700 towards his £1,000 target.

Heather Fisher, RD&E Lead Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse, said: “It will be a great way for young people to meet others with the same condition, build confidence with managing their diabetes independently, share the challenges and build resilience.

“We’re so grateful to Josh for taking on such a great challenge to help us provide this amazing opportunity for our young people, as well as the diabetes team, who will gain a valuable insight into their lived experiences.”

Josh said: “I like to have a challenge and work towards something so when I heard that the paediatric diabetes team needed to fundraise I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to set myself a goal and support the diabetes team at the same time.

“They have been a great support to me over the last six years so it’s nice to be able to give something back.”

Debbie Allen, community fundraiser for Royal Devon Hospitals Charity, added: “Josh is an absolute inspiration and we’re looking forward to cheering him on when he starts his challenge on March 1.

“An activity weekend like this is beyond what’s possible with NHS funding so every penny he’s able to raise will make such a big difference to other young people with diabetes.”

To sponsor Josh, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kay-parnell-2