Diabetic conquers Channel in relay team of three
A GUERNSEY woman has overcome Type 1 diabetes to swim the English Channel yesterday.
Jo Hardill, 42, was diagnosed with the illness a few years ago but, said her husband Guy, she immediately set out to not let it rule her life.
‘That was a big lifestyle change, but she always said she wanted to control it and not let it control her.’
She first got involved with a Try-A-Tri event.
‘That gave her the bug for tackling diabetes head-on,’ said Mr Hardill.
She went on to run in the Edinburgh Marathon, then swam in the Thames river marathon endurance swim as well as taking part in a couple of Herm swims.
Tackling the Channel was the next logical step, he said.
Mrs Hardill was keen to follow in the wake of swimmers like Adrian Sarchet and other islanders who have completed the challenge, but after looking into what was required, she realised her condition meant she would not be able to do the distance solo.
Mr Hardill said that with having to test her blood and eat regularly, it was decided that she would have to settle for doing a relay swim.
She did so with two other swimmers whom she did not know before the event.
It has been broken up into one-hour stretches and after arriving in Dover last Friday to wait for conditions to be suitable, she set off just after 7.30am yesterday. The trio finished in 13 hours, 55 minutes and 50 seconds.
‘Conditions were good and she has worked so hard for it,’ said Mr Hardill. ‘She’s very determined and the other two swimmers with her are very competent.’
As of last night the amount raised for Mrs Hardill’s chosen charities, the Priaulx Premature Baby Unit and Diabetes Guernsey, stood at £1,765.
n The fundraising page for the swim is at giving.gg/donate/event/9171
