Gavin Griffiths

On the date that we were all partying like it was 1999, I was busy going back & forth to the bathroom. My immune system's decision imminent. 

By 2006, two boys in the same class that I had been slipping out of for years - those 59-minute, lesson-duration hypos - were diagnosed with the same condition. Then a teacher asked me to help a Year 7 child, who was throwing a recognisable tantrum. My own transition was decided.

 

I completed my first fundraising marathon in 2008 - finger-prick stops every 5 miles, pockets stuffed with whatever carb could fit. It felt necessary.

Since then I've been honoured to partner with - and grown from - many healthcare teams and incredible associations, across six continents. I've also spent years inside industry, in diabetes and epilepsy, and seen the gaps up close.

 

The real endurance is not in running. It's staying.

Staying encouraged in your own physical and mental health. Staying present with the loved one's around you. Staying in the conversation when it would be easier not to.

 

I use storytelling because clinical language can build walls. Relatable stories open doors. Because health doesn't just change through information, it changes through connection.