Pedal power to raise money for Diabetes UK in RideLondon
BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk
A barrister will take part in this year’s sponsored cycle ride into Surrey to raise money for a cure for diabetes.
Joe Cannon, from Peckham, will take on the gruelling 100-mile Prudential RideLondon on July 29 to raise money for Diabetes UK.
He has a rare genetic form of the condition and is determined to do his bit to help find a cure for the condition.
The RideLondon route starts at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, heads out to the Surrey Hills and then returns for a finish on The Mall in central London.
There are two distances, 46 miles or 100 miles – and Mr Cannon is taking on the longer challenge.
He said: “I inherited a rare strain of genetic diabetes from one or both of my parents – my dad died nearly 15 years ago so I can’t be sure what form of diabetes he had.
“But my mother has the same gene and it looks as though my brother has it, too. I was diagnosed aged 19 and have been living with it since then.
“I recently became a father and I’m really hoping my one-year-old son doesn’t have the gene, but if he does I would like to help Diabetes UK in the fight against it.”
Mr Cannon, who also did Ride London for Diabetes UK in 2016, and raised £1,500, is hoping to raise £1,000 for the charity this year.
He said: “It’s been much harder to fit in the training with my parental responsibilities this time around but I’m determined to get round in a decent time.”
Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. There are an estimated 4.6m people living with diabetes in the UK.
Mr Cannon has MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young), a rare form of diabetes which is different from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and runs strongly in families.
MODY is caused by a mutation (or change) in a single gene. If a parent has this gene mutation, any child they have has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting it from them.
MODY is very rare compared with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Experts estimate that only one to two per cent of people with diabetes (20-40,000 people) in the UK have it.
Mr Cannon, who also owns Federation Coffee in Brixton, is hoping to complete the sponsored cycle ride in 6hrs 30mins and has been training hard, getting up before 6am to try and get the miles (and hills) under his belt, while his son is still sleeping.
Charlotte Harrison-Webb, Diabetes UK Fundraising Manager, said: “Our much-needed work wouldn’t be possible without the determination and generosity of our incredible fundraisers.
“We are extremely grateful to Joe for his efforts – RideLondon is hard work.
“The money raised will help fund groundbreaking research, care services and campaigns that can change the lives of those living with diabetes.”
To sponsor Mr Cannon visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/
josef-cannon.