London Roller Marathon

In March 2013, Lauren, the daughter of a close friend of mine, was diagnosed with Type1 diabetes. Lauren was only 9 at the time. Her diagnosis came as a complete shock for her family and those of us who were close to them. As we saw their lives change, as they learnt to cope with this potentially life threatening condition, I also saw my own outlook on life change. Lauren’s life would never be the same and neither would her family’s. Each new day presented itself with a new challenge; how to manage fluctuating blood glucose levels, how to cope with the amount of blood tests and numerous insulin injections. All of these challenges had to be overcome just so that Lauren could do all the things that other 9 year olds do, such as run in the park, go swimming or eat an ice-cream. I witnessed that for Lauren and her family, these every day activities, which so many of us take for granted, were now over shadowed by the fact that she now had Type 1 diabetes. A condition for which at present there is no cure.

Being so close to Lauren’s family and seeing the impact that it had on all of them, I was moved to search for a way to increase public awareness about Type1 diabetes.

London Roller Marathon is a start-up company dedicated to individuals and families affected by diabetes. London Roller Marathon will raise money through events that will fund programs to assist diabetes patients, provide support for children and parents, and contribute to scientific research on diabetes. In the first year, London Roller Marathon will support JDRF only for the first year.

London Roller Marathon will fund its charitable work through a series of rollerblading/skating marathons in which each entry will be sponsored by friends, relatives, and organizations. These London Roller Marathon will be held in London for the first two years (2016). The schedule will grow in each succeeding year.