This is a major challenge for me as, up until now, my diabetes has always put me off exercise

Zoe is determined to take on Swim22and help create a world where diabetes can do no harm.

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Wednesday 22 February 2017 - Monday 22 May 2017

#Swim22

swim22@diabetes.org.uk

My Swim22 challenge

I'm Zoe and I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on Valentine’s Day 2005, so excuse me for not wanting to celebrate Big V every year!

Forget the chocolate this year; instead I have decided to take part in the Swim22 Challenge to raise some cash for Diabetes UK. I am seriously unfit, opting to drive everywhere and eating everything in sight; however, at the turn of January 2017, I fancied a complete change of lifestyle...

I want to be a healthy sexy diabetic mermaid and swim 22 miles and raise money for every length I do. I don't put my head underwater and I can only do breast stroke, so let's see how this pans out...

I am only a couple of swims into my new swimming journey and as my sugars are all over the place, I’ve decided to keep a vlog of my ‘training’ progress in the run up to the start date in February.

I’ve swam twice since making this video and have noticed the same pattern with my sugar levels, (high post swim, then crashing down overnight), so I can alter my basal rate on Polly the Pump every time I swim which should hopefully keep me stable.

Annoyingly though, I have a feeling each visit to the chlorine-filled, plasters-on-the-floor, hair-wrapped-round-your-fingers swimming pool, I will try and increase my speed and number of lengths, so I’m going to have to monitor these swims closely as this will no doubt affect my blood glucose.

I'm determined to swim the 1408 lengths for Swim22

This is a major challenge for me as, up until now, my diabetes has always put me off exercise as every time I tried, I had horrendous swinging sugar levels which is never fun!

I’m determined to swim the 1408 lengths forSwim22and still enjoy swimming after it’s all over and keep my blood glucose stable so the doctors don’t have a pop at me every time I take a trip to the hospital!

Let’s pool our resources together everyone, dive deep into your pockets and splash the cash for Diabetes UK!'

We couldn't be more grateful to have you aboard, Zoe.

If you love Zoe's vlog as much as we do then sign up to Swim22and start yours, share it using #Swim22 or email it in, we'd love to see it.