“... keep a killer disease at bay”
Jeremy Quinn, 50, from Milton Of Campsie
AT THE BEGINNING of 2016 I was rushed to hospital. I was diagnosed with diabetes and had developed a blood clot in my lung. I spent almost a week in hospital having my condition stabilised, being taught how to inject myself with insulin and taking blood thinners to disperse the clot. I weighed 19 stones with a 38in waist and HbA1c (blood sugar) level of 124, a normal level is below 42.
It was the proverbial wake-up call. I changed my diet and took to the roads on my bike. I was on all sorts of medication and wanted to reduce this as much as I could. I wanted to be healthier and lose weight. I mostly rode on forest paths and trails, along old railway lines. I bought a new road bike to start riding in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Today I can cycle over the Campsie Fells (about 1000ft high) towards Aberfoyle, up over the Dukes Pass around Loch Katrine. Some days I do 140km. I have lost over five stones (now 13st 10lb) my blood sugar is 35 and my waist is 32in. I’ve never felt better and I no longer have to inject insulin.
I’ve cycled all through the winter in Scotland and I’m training for The Dulux Trade London Revolution. The thing I love most about cycling is the opportunity to clear my head of all the stresses of work. Sometimes I go fast and try and beat my personal bests on Strava and sometimes I just turn the pedals and look forward to the stop at a cafe. I own my life again, and my bike has got me to this destination.
“I HAVE LOST OVER FIVE STONES IN WEIGHT, MY BLOOD SUGAR IS 35 AND I NO LONGER HAVE TO INJECT INSULIN”