310 kilometres across England to beat diabetes

Diabetes has as far as I can think back always been part of my life.

My mother had diabetes and I was unfortunately witness to what the horrible sickness can do. (Almost) blindness, a slave to the meter and needle, wounds that wouldn't heal, an amputation because of that and in general a degrading quality of life.

The threat of diabetes hung always above my head and two years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes type 2. I am lucky enough to not need medication (yet) and nowadays my chances are not bad I never will. However, it means being careful with food and make sure I get enough movement. Which brought me to hiking.

On 13 August 2019 I will take the first steps of Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk, 310 kilometres from the Irish to the North Sea in northern England, hoping to walk down the steep road to the North Sea in Robin Hood's Bay on 1 September. It will be quite a challenge for me mentally and physically but one that I am looking forward to. Part of this is that I know I am lucky that I am still feeling well enough to take it on and want to support research on diabetes. Not for myself but especially for children and coming generations so diabetes might be preventable or curable in the future and they won't have to go through the pains my mother had to go through.

Help me help others by collecting money for the Dutch Diabetes Fonds.

In case you have trouble donating because the descriptions are all in Dutch, contact me, I can help you along. Thanks in advance for your support. The pictures are from some of my training hikes.