“WELSH INTERNATIONAL ATHLETE JOINS CELEBRITIES FOR GLOBAL DIABETES CHALLENGE”

34-year-old Melanie, from Cardiff, is taking part in the#BlueBalloonChallengecurrently sweeping the nation

Melanie Stephenson-Gray, an athlete living with Type 1 Diabetes, who represented Wales and carried the Olympic torch in 2012, is taking part in the #BlueBalloonChallenge currently sweeping the globe – joining a host of celebrities, including TV Presenter Dominic Littlewood and Hollyoaks Star Rory Douglas-Steel, in an attempt to raise as much money as possible for Life for a Child. 

Life for a Child is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing life-saving insulin and basic medical devices to children with diabetes in developing countries.

Melanie, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes more than 20 years ago, when she was only 13-years-old, is a passionate campaigner for Diabetes awareness, as she knows too well the challenges of living with it day in and day out – from suffering hypos (low blood glucose) to stress-inducing daily injections.

The #BlueBalloonChallenge kicked off last month and will run until the end of November, National Diabetes Month. Organised by Medtronic, the global leader in healthcare technology, the challenge invites members of the public to step into the shoes of those who live with diabetes by posting a photo or film themselves as they try to keep a balloon in the air – a metaphor for the constant balancing act required to manage diabetes.

Melanie, who is a new Mum, said, “While I have never let diabetes hold me back, it’s something that I have always had to work hard to overcome – from managing my insulin while training, to overcoming stigmas and more recently, having a baby daughter. Diabetes affects your every day and is something that a lot of people don’t understand, so it can be quite isolating.”  

Almost half a million people across the UK and Ireland live with Type 1 Diabetes, which is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not produce insulin or produces insufficient insulin, resulting in excess glucose in the blood. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, it cannot be prevented and does not develop as a result of a particular lifestyle.

Melanie added, “Living with Type 1 Diabetes is a constant balancing act. It’s like doing everything in your daily life while keeping a balloon in the air. The #BlueBalloonChallenge allows other people to experience my every day and better understand Type 1 Diabetes, while also helping raise funds for children who don’t have access to the care – and insulin – that I do.”

For every post Medtronic will donate €5 to Life for a Child, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing life-saving insulin and basic medical devices to children with diabetes in developing countries. 

• To join the#BlueBalloonChallenge, simply post a video or photo of yourself keeping a balloon in the air while doing any daily activityand tag @MedtronicDiabetesUKI (Instagram) + @MedtronicDiabetes (LinkedIn)

• For every post, Medtronic will donate €5 to Life for a Child

• Find out more at https://www.medtronic-diabetes.com/en-gb or check out the #BlueBalloonChallenge hashtag on Instagram for more inspiration!