An 80-YEAR-OLD man from Painswick is set to prove his Type 1 diabetes is no barrier to a marathon run.

Anthony Fisher is one of a team of 88 runners with the condition aiming to help Diabetes UK break a world record at this year JCP Swansea Half Marathon on Sunday, June 24.

Diabetes UK wants to break its own record, set last year, for the number of people with Type 1 diabetes to run a half marathon.

Anthony, a retired businessman, was diagnosed more than 40 years ago in 1977.

Since then he has run over 70 half marathons, as well as the London Marathon in 1991, aged 53.

He is running to show others with the condition that it should not stop them from being active and enjoying exercise, as well as the difference that diabetes technology can make.

Anthony said, “When I was diagnosed, I was drinking a lot of water and needing to go to the toilet a lot.

“I just put this down to warm weather and working hard, but a friend joked that I might have diabetes. I now know that these are two of the common symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.

“The diagnosis was a real shock.

“My children were only five and eight years old at the time, the same ages that my sister and I were when our father passed away.

“I was determined to be around for my children, and my wife, Liz. I became obsessed with my blood sugars and radically changed my diet to help with my diabetes control.”

A keen cross-country runner as a child, Anthony rediscovered his enthusiasm for the sport soon after he was diagnosed.

Anthony continued, “I ran the London Marathon to show others with Type 1 that it is no barrier to sport.

“It was an enormous challenge.

“I had to test my blood glucose levels while running and remember dropping glucose tablets all over the road.”

Over the years, technology has transformed the way Anthony manages his condition. Anthony uses a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), a small device worn just under the skin.

It measures blood glucose levels continuously throughout the day and night, and alerts the wearer when they are too high or too low.

Anthony connects his CGM to a watch, enabling him to monitor his blood glucose levels in real time.

He is passionate about raising awareness of the technology available, so that others with Type 1 can benefit.

Anthony continued, “The main reason I am doing the JCP Swansea Half Marathon is to raise the profile of CGM. It has totally transformed my diabetic control.

“Back then testing was much more time consuming and much less accurate than it is today.

“I would test my blood glucose levels 10 to 12 times a day and would cut test strips into threes to make them go further.

“Now it is so simple; I check my levels by just looking at my watch.

“This technology can have a huge impact on quality of life for people with Type 1 diabetes, and is starting to become more affordable, too.

“I’m looking forward to meeting lots of other Type 1 runners to tell them, and show them, the difference it can make.”

People with Type 1 diabetes don’t produce the hormone insulin, which controls the amount of glucose in the blood, so they must receive it via regular injections or via a pump.

Nobody knows what causes Type 1 diabetes and it isn’t currently preventable.

Physical exercise can impact blood glucose levels, meaning people who have Type 1 diabetes must manage their insulin before, during and after exercise.

Annika Palmer, Diabetes UK south west regional head, said: “Anthony’s commitment to managing his Type 1 diabetes for more than 40 years is admirable, and his attitude towards staying active and spreading the word of potentially life-changing new technology is truly inspirational.”