For many years now, my brother Matt has been involved with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), a benevolent research and advocacy organisation who are working hard to find a cure for type 1 diabetes (hence \u201cT1D\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a considerable fraction of his adult life, Matt has been dedicated to, and played a leading role in the organisation, despite having a time-consuming job, abundant other interests and a busy, active family.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He recently retired, and rather than put his feet up (as our late, beloved Auntie Millie would have counselled), he has re-doubled his commitment to Breakthrough T1D. In May 2025, he is going to take on an astonishing challenge: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt is going to bike across Canada in order to raise money for the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please let me put that in context for you, as not a lot of people – even Canadians – know quite how large Canada actually is:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt\u2019s journey will take 57 days and he will pedal for 7,500 kilometres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For my friends in the UK: that is more than seven and a half times the geodesic (Great Circle) distance of Land\u2019s End to John O\u2019Groats. For my friends in France, it is pretty much the same: about seven and a half times the distance from the northernmost French border point with Belgium, to where the French-Spanish border meets the Mediterranean. To my friends in Canada, well, he\u2019s going to bike the whole damn country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to Matt recently, he couched this effort in typically unselfish terms: he said now that he had made the commitment, he was worried: he didn\u2019t want to let anyone down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I know another part of his motivation, from something he said to me long ago, a throw-away line, really:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI like a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So it would seem\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For those of us who will not be in the saddle for 57 days, I think there is only one valid response to the courageous challenge which Matt has taken on. Support him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can read more about what Matt is going to accomplish \u2013 and you can make a donation \u2013 via this link\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n