The past week has been very different than the first 3 months. After spending a fair bit of time in the UK in the past years, I certainly feel more at home here, as well as finding it much easier to find food in towns and of-course communicate with everyone.
The walking has been less scenic as a lot of my route has been through towns, especially as I left Canterbury and walked towards London. Despite this, and also having about 1000km still to walk, I’m relaxed and excited about this final stages and finally getting to watch some cricket along the way!
I have had to readjust to carrying all my gear again since my parents flew home which has put a lot more pressure on my feet and back, but I’m sure I will soon get used to it again.
My toenail which turned black after my first few days of walking has finally fallen (been ripped) off. My feet certainly aren’t a pretty sight and they probably feel as bad as they look. I am still amazed that I haven’t had any blisters though!
I’ve been lucky to meet some amazing people while in the UK! The lovely Lucy, Henry and their daughter Ellie (who also has type one) invited me to stay with their family in their beautiful home while in Canterbury. I felt instantly at home and relaxed (wine and gin and tonics likely helped😂) and I had an amazing stay!
After leaving Canterbury I met some lovely people who were outside their home as I walked past. I stopped and spoke to them for a while and explained what I was doing. They were all so supportive and explained that their son worked with children with type one diabetes. They went inside briefly and returned with a donation. 💕
The generosity has been amazing! The wonderful London Swans Aussie rules football club ran a ladies day over the weekend and all money raised was to go towards my fundraising goals! They raised over £550 on the day! My friend Alice who also has type one, lives in London and plays football for this club! Alice has also been amazing and let me stay with her while in London which has been so lovely to have a familiar face!
Tomorrow I will be meeting with JDRF UK in London! They have been very supportive of my journey so far and I am looking forward to meeting them all!
In Australia, it is currently National Diabetes Week! Each year there is a new theme to raise awareness. This year it is to raise awareness to better detect all types of diabetes.
For type 1 diabetes, this means taking the time to learn the 4Ts (toilet, thirsty, tired, thinner) - the early warning signs of type 1 diabetes.
It’s important to remember type one diabetes is not only diagnosed in Children and can be diagnosed at any age. Although there are no ways to prevent the onset at this stage being aware of these symptoms are vital for early detection!
Over $42,000 already raised, I’m hoping to try to reach the $50,000 mark before the first Ashes Test on Aug 1st! 🙏🏼
So grateful for everyone’s support! Sorry if I’m a bit slow getting around to replying to messages! I certainly read every single one and get so much inspiration, however it can take me a while to get around to replying! ♥️
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