You can be part of a brilliant squad of riders pushing themselves and encouraging others. We will ride hundreds of thousands of miles whilst raising vital funds to change the lives of those living with and at risk of diabetes. So read our rider's stories below, share your own, join our Facebook group and get involved!
Every rider has a story. Whether it's to improve your fitness, lose weight or simply reignite your love of cycling - please share your stories using #UKWideCycleRide on social media. Your experiences will help inspire others to take part and complete their challenge. We'd love to hear your story email us at ukwidecycle@diabetes.org.uk
I am an active wheelchair user trying to lose weight and gain muscle and become healthier.
I have been in a wheelchair for nearly 2 years. I have chronic regional pain syndrome and last year I was hit by a car that has caused problems with my mobility so I can’t walk as I’m in chronic pain 24/7 but I have learned to be strong and independent.
My husband has type 1 and my grandad and also some friends and family. My husband has been struggling with his diabetes since he was a child, it has not been easy for him at all he has glaucoma and stage 3 kidney disease. It's hard seeing how this disease affects him each. I wish I could take it away from him.
When I signed up for this challenge I was so excited to get donations and to achieve the 45 miles target that I had set myself. When I set off for the first day I was nervous but very excited then I saw I had done 2.18 miles. I would go out in the morning for a couple of miles and I started thinking I’ve got this! The more miles I clocked up the better I felt. Then the donations came flying in which helped motivate me even more. I started to feel so good about myself as I gained some muscle and became faster in my wheelchair. I was trying to beat each mile each day and that was helping a lot with my mental health as I couldn’t wait to get up and go to do my miles each day.
Once I had finished my miles I felt so happy that I had raised £521.00 and completed 56.6 miles when I had set myself a target of £150 and 45 miles.
I would say to anyone thinking of signing up who is disabled or anyone in a wheelchair it is a great experience and is for a great cause. It’s been fun and you can achieve a lot for yourself and others. Go for it. Since the challenge, I have joined a gym and am working out daily, pushing myself to take part in more challenges.
"I’ve taken part in the challenge three times now – I’m a bus driver and I love my job but cycling gives me a release and clears my mind. It helps get rid of the baggage of the day and feel better mentally.
My advice for anyone thinking about taking part is just do it and don’t think too much about it – you’ll enjoy the ride! Your cycling has a purpose. Everyone has days they can’t be bothered but if you have a focus that really helps you get out there and cycle!"
“My youngest son Archie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in October 2019. He was two years old at the time and it was a real shock. Thankfully, the local diabetes team at our hospital were absolutely amazing and really supported us through his diagnosis. I’m really proud of how Archie’s responded - he just gets on with life. He’s wearing pump pouches at the moment and his favourites are Baby Yoda and Super Mario!
Archie has to face the challenge of diabetes everyday, so taking part in UCKWR was my way of facing that challenge with him together. It also gave me something else to focus on and helped my mental health too. Once I started sharing that I was doing it, I became accountable and it helped me stay motivated. It was amazing how much support I received during the challenge too. I think I was aiming for about £500 initially, but I ended up with five times that and I was truly blown away.
I also found the Facebook group a lot of fun; it was great chatting to people all over the UK. It felt like a little community. I would tell anyone thinking of doing UK Wide Cycle Ride to absolutely go for it - you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve when you have the encouragement and support from others.”
"The main reason I decided to take part was because of the help Diabetes UK gave me during the first few months after my diagnosis. Every single person I’ve spoken to on the helpline has been really lovely and really amazing, and the website has been an amazing resource too. I don’t think in all honesty that I’d be as confident as I am now without them.
Each week during the event I posted Instagram videos of our rides and shared screenshots of my mile tracker to keep people updated. I wanted them to follow our journey and see how their donations were motivating us to keep going.
It felt great to hit my fundraising target; it was something new that I’d achieved and my partner was so supportive. Despite not cycling much before, I ended up really enjoying it; it’s so nice to get the wind on your face. We’re also quite competitive so we wanted to beat our times all the time, and I just wanted to keep getting fitter and fitter. I felt much better for it."
"The 2020 UK Wide Cycle Ride was a great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it; I felt motivated throughout the entire month and the community was like one big team - it was really special. I managed to do the full 950 miles. I did find it hard but hitting the target felt incredible.
Nowadays, I can’t wait to get on my bike. I’ve given up driving and tend to cycle everywhere - I built my strength up on my Oxygen e-bike and now I can take the mountain bike out for 20 to 23 miles at a time. It’s currently being custom sprayed with the Diabetes UK logo because I want to promote the charity and raise awareness.
This year, I’m planning to do 950 miles again - but I want to do it in three weeks. That’s about 50 miles a day, so 25 miles in the morning before work and 25 miles after.
UK Wide Cycle Ride isn’t a race, it’s a ride - it’s a ride to show people that just because we have diabetes, it doesn’t stop us from living a normal life. Yes, we may have more to think about, or more to consider, but that won’t stop us."
"I like competition and working towards something I have never done which is why I’m currently training for Half Ironmans.
I was put on an insulin pump at the age of 28 and it has been an absolute life changer. Amongst other things, it means I can reduce insulin when I am doing any training and I haven’t had a hypo during a race since. With long cycle rides, the insulin pump hasn’t completely taken the hypos away but it allows me to manage them much better. I also started using the Freestyle Libre this year, which is incredibly convenient for my lifestyle and training.
My cycling tips:
If you need any further support then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team by emailing UKWideCycle@diabetes.org.uk
