Why is the UK Government debating diabetes in sport? Meet the man who made it happen

On September 3rd 2025, diabetes and sport will go under the global spotlight that is a House of Commons debate. In today’s episode the man who made it happen tells us why - and what this could mean for the millions of people living with diabetes in the UK.

Chris Bright is one of the community’s crusaders. As part of his role as Community Partnerships and Events Lead at Breakthrough T1D in the UK, he has put diabetes in sport on the agenda at the highest possible level. The goal? To improve the inclusivity of physical activity for people with diabetes. 

The need is clear - the Equality Act that safeguards around 3.5 million people with diabetes in work and education does not currently extend to sport. In fact, recent research found that of 180 existing governing bodies in sport, only four have policies in place for people with diabetes.

Diagnosed at the age of 8, Chris overcame stigma and the challenges of a very inflexible insulin regime as a young athlete to represent Wales at futsal. He later used those negative experiences as momentum to build The Diabetes Football Community, bringing young footballers with diabetes together while rewriting attitudes to type 1 diabetes and football.

In this episode we dig into different pockets of Chris’s work, including some new recommendations for travel, airports and airport security. We touch on his personal journey, and he reveals his strategy for successfully creating change in the face of inequality - perfect for anyone who feels as galvanised as I was listening to Chris’s phenomenal story. 

CONNECT WITH CHRIS
Follow Chris on Instagram.
Find Chris on X.
Follow Chris on TikTok.
The Diabetes Football Community website.
Breakthrough T1D Community Events Calendar.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY 
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Visit the Type 1 on 1 website.
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DISCLAIMER
Nothing you hear on Type 1 on 1 should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team before making any changes to your diabetes or health management.

SPONSOR MESSAGE
This episode of Type 1 on 1 is sponsored by Dexcom. Using Dexcom CGM has given me so much confidence to make informed diabetes treatment decisions in the moment.

You can choose to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, and all Dexcom CGMs have the share and follow feature even when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that extra bit of support when needed.

Head to Dexcom.com to request a free Dexcom ONE+ sample.

Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode of Type one on one is sponsored by Dexcom.
More on that later. Just to say, as with every
episode of Type one on one, nothing you hear within
this podcast episode is intended to be nor should be
taken as medical advice, and you should absolutely seek the
advice and guidance of a healthcare professional before making any
changes to your diabetes management. If you want to come

(00:21):
and say hi, you can do so at Studio type
one on one on Instagram and I'd love to see
you there. Hi, everyone, and welcome to Type one on one,
a podcast that delves into the obscure, complex and challenging
world of life with type one diabetes. I'm Jen Grieves,
and each week, with the help of some brilliant guests,

(00:44):
I'll be showing that there is no normal when it
comes to handlink this whopper of a chronic condition, because
we're all pretty much figuring out the messiness of day
to day life with diabetes as we go, and most
of all, even though it doesn't always feel like it,
we are absolutely not alone. For better or worse, our

(01:04):
childhood experiences naturally hugely shape the adults we become, and
after facing diabetes stigma in sport as a kid, Chris
Bright founded the Diabetes Football Community to rewrite attitudes around
type one diabetes and football. Fast forward, through an incredible
amount of community building and hard work, Chris is now
community partnerships and events lead at Breakthrough T one d

(01:25):
in the UK, and today we're going to dig into
the policy change that Chris is pushing for across everything
from traveling through airports to policy changes in sport that
will give Type one children the voice he never had.
Chris Bright, It's an honor to say welcome to Type
one on one.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Well, thank you very much for having me. It's a
real honor to be here. I listened to the podcast
and delighted to be a guest on it.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
I appreciate that so much. As I've alluded to there,
you are one of our crusaders and I can only
laud you for that and thank you right off the bat.
So there's a lot of work. But how are you?
How are you doing? It's Friday? How are you Chris?

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah, not too bad. It's been been a busy week.
I've literally just been dealing with a slightly lowbler glucose
level leading into lunch. Just had lunch and hopefully it
all holds out okay, and I've done the correct carb
counting for the dose, so fingers crossed. By the end
of the podcast, I'm in a decent place in my
glucose levels. But all in all, yeah, very well, thank you.

(02:29):
I hope you're all right.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Well, yeah, I'm good. I also just had a sneaky
little hypo there before recording, So we're in the right place.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Extros on hand, they're available, they're ready.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
We're ready to go, okay, so hopefully we get through
the hour. I've never actually had any diabetes drama while recording.
Plenty of technical difficulties, but we'd like, well, I'll keep
it that way. I think that's the better, better way. Yeah,
So this feels like this chat has been a long time,
but I think I catch you at a really interesting

(03:02):
time for the stuff that you've going on in your work,
So I definitely want to dig in so that people
can hear about what is actually going on. I think,
particularly when it comes to something like breakthrough T and D,
we think about the work for a cure, but actually
there's so much other stuff happening, and this stuff is
impacting us now, you know, Like, as I sort of
alluded to in the introduction. A lot of what is

(03:26):
going on is stuff that has been needing to change
and conversations that needed to be had for so so long.
Is that something that you sort of see in the
work that you're doing today.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, hugely. I think I've always felt, certainly with the
two key industries or sectors that you mentioned in the introduction,
around air travel and aviation, as well as sport and
physical activity, they are quite closely linked to things that
I interact with, so naturally somewhere that I will have

(03:59):
a passion and some knowledge of I think some use
there in knowing the sectors or interacting with them regularly
is definitely helpful in then trying to challenge for change
and improvements in policies and guidelines which exist. So certainly
I have seen that in the last three years since
I joined Breakthrough T one D looking to find ways

(04:22):
and means of harnessing and working with the community to
understand what the challenges are and the needs of the
community to then to turn that into meaningful practices and
opportunities to make a difference with sectors and industries that
are able to make the change and able to help
but also positive about making change as well. You've got

(04:45):
to land with the right person in the right place
to get them to see and then you've got to
be ready with evidence and with passion and with you know,
ideas and solutions for them to hopefully get to that
change as well.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah, that's a you know, phenomenal amount of evidence gathering
and you've got qualitative and quantitative there. Did you know
going into this role that that was the breadth and
the scope of it having been embedded, you know, in
the community for a long time in different ways.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
I think when I came into the role, I would
have envisaged hopefully having some level of impact in this space,
wanting to make community benefiting changes within organizations and with
sectors and governing agencies and bodies to help people's experience

(05:39):
with type one diabetes. That was what I hoped I
could achieve. Did I think that three years ago I
would be able to get into the position where we're
talking about it with governments. I'm not sure. I'm really
not sure. But I hoped I would be able to
influence and get into a space where where those conversations

(05:59):
were happening and in them certainly with the interactions and
the engagement that we've had in the last eighteen months
with going to forums in the aviation industry. So we
sit on a number of accessibility forums attached to many
of the UK airports and then just championing the need

(06:20):
for change and the need for improved awareness, improved knowledge,
education changes in policies in those spaces, which coincides with
some significant changes at airports as well in terms of
scanning technology which many people might have seen across UK airports.
With the changes there, it's almost fallen at a good

(06:43):
time for the airports as well. For the conversation that
they've been making big changes. We've been sort of championing
the increased use of technology in the diabetes community and
how that will influence airports and will influence their practices
and the security guards and airline staff and airport staff
are going to need to know because there is more

(07:03):
and more people with diabetes than ever before. We're in technology,
so it's all kind of come into a little bit.
I've described it a few times, a bit of a
perfect storm for change where they've been making changes. We've
been seeing obviously an increased need for and use of
technology in the diabetes community and the two things have
married up at this almost the same time, which has

(07:24):
meant an openness and a conversation which has then led
us down the path of Very recently and actually this
report has just launched in late July, which was the
Aviation Accessibility Task and finished group who were basically consult
or asked to go out into the community to find

(07:47):
out what other needs of those with maybe accessibility challenges
or needs at airports and they were essentially wanting to
gather up views and what was going on out there
and then present it back to the Department for Transport.
And in that process, because we were talking so much

(08:08):
about the needs and the challenges, we were actually consulted
as a charity breakthrough t one D to provide thoughts
and views on what could be changed and improve their
airports in the United Kingdom to help with the experience
of people with type one diabetes. So we were involved
in that process. We were in an interview with a
number of different people with different stakeholders involved in type

(08:31):
one diabetes. So parent for example, was represented on their
male female so we tried to blend different views and
different voices as well to give around is interpretation and
hopefully representation of the community in what was a short
space of time as well. Sometimes these things happen really
quickly and you need to turn it round fast to

(08:51):
get there. And essentially we provided some recommendations for change
which I think and I hope have been in operated
in the report which has just been delivered by Baroness
Tanny gray Thompson, who was the chair and obviously a
huge advocate for disability rights across the United Kingdom in

(09:13):
all different sectors, which has just come out, and there
was a key theme within there. I think it's them
three which really highlights hidden disabilities and invisible conditions, which
I really hope and when I read it, I think
we've influenced that, and I think we've definitely played a
part in hopefully those recommendations going further into the aviation

(09:36):
sector and influencing their practice in the future. So very
proud of the fact that we've played a part in
hopefully influencing the Department for Transport, the aviation industry in
improving practice and essentially improving experiences for people with type
one diabetes, but also for everybody living with hidden conditions.

Speaker 1 (09:57):
Yeah, absolutely, and I like that you incorporate to that
this isn't just diabetes or type one diabetes. It's so
many conditions that are misunderstood and you know class as
kind of hidden disabilities. That's a phenomenal achievement in as
you say, a short space of time, and I think
you pointed there. I mean, you'll know this better than

(10:18):
anyone that getting the door open in the first place
is often the challenge, the biggest challenge. So the fact
that it's gone so far beyond that into these tangible
recommendations is really exciting. Travel is something that I get
asked about all the time, and I know it's a
source of such anxiety for a lot of people, particularly
the part at the airport. Is that something that is

(10:40):
echoed in kind of the questions and frustrations and challenges
that break through T one D gets from people living
with the condition, Like what's the scope of the problems
that people are facing at the Airport's You've mentioned technology there,
which is a clear one.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yeah, we hear about travel and airport challenges a significant amount.
We're also closely working with Rachel Crawford, who produced and
was the founder of the MDA card to the medical
device Awareness Card, which has been a phenomenal introduction to
the community, has had great uptake and is widely recognized

(11:21):
both here and around the world as a really useful
resource to help people navigate airport security and equally when
we talk to Rachel and in fact, Rachel has just
launched a survey to gather up the interest, gather up
the experiences of people with diabetes at airports and to

(11:41):
understand which airports might be doing it really well and
maybe where there might be airports which are finding it
difficult in terms of the experience that people with diabetes
are having. So we'd definitely encourage people to give their
feedback if they've been through airports in recent times, but
we do similarly listen that is something that's happening right now.

(12:03):
But we also ask the community about key themes that
we want that they'd like us to tackle, whether that's
in community events or whether that's more generally in resources
and travel and help with travel and holidays. Is often
within the top six, seven eight themes which come out
from the community, so it's high on a list of

(12:25):
things for us to look at, and that list generally
gives me a pretty good sphere on priorities in terms
of my role as partnerships and events lead. I then
look at that and go what individuals and organizations can
I go and work with to influence some of these
key themes which come out from the community. So travel

(12:46):
is always up there. I'm always then looking and then
as you rightly said, there's a whole host of work
going into engaging with key partners and organizations, whether that's
the Civil Aviation Authority, the CIA, whether that's ports themselves
and the airport accessibility forms which we often sit on.
And then you try and find the pinch points within

(13:09):
that experience and that journey everything from where you check
in all the way through or even book the holiday
or the flight all the way through to then arriving
at the other end. And a lot of the you know,
the challenges is very obvious. I wouldn't need to point
them out, but there's an all there's a significant amount
of difficulty faced at airport security variable experiences across the country,

(13:35):
which is an area where everybody's working on is you know,
whether you talk to an Airport Accessibility Forum or the CIA,
they are aware of the challenges and they are very
very much in the space of working with us to
try and improve them and raise more awareness. And I've
actually seen personally, i think, an improvement for airport security

(13:57):
across the UK. When I was, you know, travel maybe
a year ago, eighteen months ago post pandemic, I certainly
felt there was a little bit less empathy, there was
more questions. I felt a little bit of difficulty actually
for one of the first times in traveling through the
through the airport, I was wearing a pump for the
first time as well myself. And actually with time and

(14:19):
in the last six months to a year, I've noticed
as I've gone through that far more amenable, far more
accepting of when I've said I'm wearing a pump, please
can you scream in an alternative way? So personally i've
seen that, but I'm hoping that with more evidence gathering
and more communication with the community, the community will hopefully
start to see that as well in the next year.

(14:41):
We've seen it, you know, the feedback across the nation
at different airports, they've been receiving it as well. So
I think that implementation of change is hopefully coming and
the experiences will will improve with time. But the pandemic
obviously created a significant change for the aviation industry, and

(15:01):
they lost an incredible amount of staff, which is meant
a whole recruitment of new staff. And as with anything,
new staff takes time to learn, to be educated, to
pick up things, and unfortunately, I think many poor experiences
that might have occurred in the last two or three
years probably won't happen in the next two years as

(15:23):
we go forward.

Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yeah, and the timing of that, potentially with these recommendations,
that's actually an opportunity for people to be trained from
the get go, you know, trying to kind of that
strikes me as it could be, you know, with this
noise that's been created thanks to the work the organizations
like yourselves are doing, that there's an opportunity there to
be trained from the beginning in these technologies, these devices.

(15:48):
But also I think that this, you know, the mental
load of you've got enough to think about getting to
the airport in terms of traveling with type one, that
is way beyond just oh yeah, I'm going on holiday,
pack a few clothes and some suncream. But the anxiety
then on top that so many of us carry going
into that situation, particularly if it's not something that you

(16:08):
do regularly. That's what gets me. You know. Just a
few weeks ago, I think I mentioned to you when
we were talking about this, that my friend was texting
me from her plane seat crying because of the experience
she'd had. And you know, that's not the start of
the holiday that anyone should be experiencing. So yeah, was
there anything in the recommendations that you can pull out

(16:29):
that maybe people might be not less obvious maybe or
things that surprised you even.

Speaker 2 (16:39):
I think one of the thing that stands out actually
one of the recommendations said awareness training for all staff
involved in the aviation sector pretty much, so talking about
everybody at the airport and on airlines being educated it

(17:00):
around disabilities and invisible conditions. So wasn't that probably went
a step further than I thought it might in terms
of you you'd expect them to maybe push that towards
the security area, where a lot of interaction occurs between
say the person and a member of staff at the airport,

(17:23):
and often then other staff that you might come across
you don't really interact with that much. Maybe you could
argue somebody working on an airline on the plane, but
actually many of the other staff you wouldn't necessarily come
across or need to interact with as much. So actually,
by them saying all staff at the airport to be
trained in disabilities and hidden disabilities was a step further

(17:47):
than I thought they would go, but also opens up,
as you said, Jen, like a really amazing opportunity for
the future that we hopefully will get much more awareness
out there of taypwond diabetes and diabetes in its entirety
amongst airport staff. That should filter through to airline staff.

(18:07):
And you know, it's a widely used sector, so not
only is it just about the experience of that sector,
but those people that work in it then become more
educated about diabetes and that spreads them more widely into
society at large. It helps to tackle things like stigma
and stereotypes because people actually become aware of what the
condition entails because they've had to listen, they've had to

(18:29):
go through training on it, and that spreads them into
other parts of society, not just the aviation industry.

Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yeah, and those real world kind of touch points with
the condition, I think they're not something you forget versus
you know, reading it in a textbook, because it's part
of what you've been told to do. So, Yeah, that's encouraging.
And I you know, I've been on a lot of
planes and I've had some very very positive and understanding experiences,
both through security on the plane itself having issues with hypos.

(19:03):
One thing that gets me is how much I have
to carry it, especially if I'm traveling long term. I
worry a lot about the weight of my cases and
I'm like, I can't put this in the hold. And
also it's just like with the omnipod specifically it's mass
or massive battery packs, right, And that's in the back
of my head, alongside have I got my passport? What

(19:24):
times the flight are we delayed? Like Yeah, it just
kind of illustrates it's completely understandable that people feel the
way they do, and therefore so important as you say
that this noise.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
And reassuringly Jim. One of the recommendations we wrote was
around having baggage next to the person if it's a
medical bag and not being apart from the individual. Whether that,
don't ask them to put it in the hold, don't
ask them to move the bag down the plane. It
should be next to them. So that was one of
the recommendations that was written.

Speaker 1 (19:53):
There you go, there you go. This stuff is happening.
So what's next for these recommendations before we move on
in terms of the process and your involvement.

Speaker 2 (20:02):
So from what I understand, the recommendations and the reports
obviously been published. There was obviously a task and finished
group which was across the aviation sector, so that I
had people involved that worked for airlines, people that worked
in security in airports see the CIA for example. So
they're now going to turn into an implementation group which

(20:24):
is then about taking those recommendations. They might add a
few more people and members to that group as well,
and then how do they take those recommendations and obviously
implement them then across the sector. So I think they're
going to need a bit of time to digest, work
out how to do it, what it's going to take, funding, budgets,
all that sort of stuff, because it's not easy work

(20:45):
that they're doing. And they're talking about, you know, reaching
across you know, lots of airports to impact millions and
millions of passengers, so there's a lot of thought that
needs to go into it. So they'll be working through that,
I would say for the rest of the year I
don't know what it looks like longer than that, but
certainly from having small conversations, I know that they're very

(21:09):
keen now to take what has been you know, gathered
up in the evidence and turn it into tangible impact
and real real life Yeah, real life impacts and projects
which can make sure that people with air condition and
other conditions find the aviation sector accessible. And I think

(21:33):
that's what their priorities are going to be.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah, yeah, I love to hear it like travel changed
my life, you know, and I feel very passionate, like
you were saying about the through lines through your life,
about empowering people to feel equipped to travel and to
go where they want and live the life they want,
no matter what that looks like, and this is this
is a big piece of that for a lot of people.

(21:59):
So yeah, okay, I think mate, let's just touch on
while we're here, like what else your role encompasses will
come on to sport after, Like if we take it back,
obviously we want to hear a bit more about your
lived experience as well, but just a little bit more
about the work you are doing alongside this aviation piece,

(22:22):
just in general on your day to day and what
you're working working towards.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
Yeah, So I'm obviously my role is partnerships and events,
so there's there's a significant amount of it which is
spent doing community events as well. So we will produce
both in person and online virtual events which impact the community,

(22:48):
hopefully tackles a big key themes which I've talked about
earlier and how we work those out and we ask
and we find out what they are, and also tries
to reach into the communities across the UK. So I'm
charged with creating a program of events which goes to
all four nations of the United Kingdom, goes from everything

(23:09):
from London to Aberdeen and Belfast through to Swansea and
everywhere else in between. And we just try our best
to move the events around the United Kingdom, make them
as accessible as possible and reach as many people in
the Type one community as we can. And then on
the day get people talking. You know, it's about peer support.

(23:30):
It's about bringing experts in and those with lived experience,
healthcare professionals, researchers, just to give the latest flavor of
what's going on in the Type one community, give people
a feeling that they're not alone, get people talking on
key subjects which are important to them, and also give
them important information and access to talk to medical device

(23:52):
companies which are there on the day as well. If
you want to ask questions and pose them, Yeah, post
questions that you might never have the answer to, you'll
be able to go and reach out to them and
find them and yeah, make sure that that burning question
is answered.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah. Nice. Actually, that's such an interesting point because we
often go to our healthcare professionals, which obviously they're trained
and equipped to answer questions. But actually, my diabetes nurse,
when I was looking at pumps, told me that it's
the pump companies that are the experts in each individual pump.
And I found that really refreshing because obviously that's true

(24:30):
diabetes nurses are working in this world, but the ins
and outs and the specifics of each and every pump,
you know, that specialism lies with the companies that created it.
So for you to kind of raise that awareness that
those companies are often there to answer those specific questions,
because again, devices can be very daunting, especially if you've
been on MDI for a very long time, you know

(24:52):
it's a big change to consider. So can you tell
us a little bit more about these events in terms
of I think with the people listening, I know that
they're probably is a vast amount of differing experiences in
terms of how they're engaged with the community virtually or otherwise.
But what have you witnessed at these real world events

(25:13):
for people who maybe are considering them but aren't quite
sure if they want to jump in in that way?
Do you know what I mean, if you could give
us a little bit of a flavor about the real world.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
Yeah, I mean we for a start, there's we provide
like an all access ticket and we make sure that
the day is drop in. So if you just want
to pop in for an hour just to check out
the technology companies and have a chatter, then that's fine.
Or if you want to come in and come and

(25:46):
chat to them and then actually you weren't sure and
then you just want to drop into one of the
talks because they run alongside each other in terms of timing,
that's all okay. And if you're you know, if you're
all in and you've straight off the straight the bat,
you're committed to to wanting to be there all day.
You know, if you've got a parent with children, we've
got kids entertainment running, so the kids can go into

(26:08):
that meet other children with Type one. Parents then can
go into the talks and listen to the different subjects
which might be delivered by healthcare professionals, researchers, people with
lived experience, and there's plenty of times in the breaks
as well to foster that community feel and that conversation
we actually have. In the last year introduced a section

(26:31):
within the day of about an hour called facilitated Conversation,
which is basically peer support. So we set up around
a room different themes of what we think would be
high on the list to discuss. So quite often there's
mental health in there, there's diabetes technology in there, there's
research in there, there's physical activity and exercise and support

(26:53):
in there, and then schools education, newly diagnosed, and we
set up these areas around a big room and then
we just have you know, there'll be a facilitator. Sometimes
it's me and other members of staff, and we will
literally pose a few questions, so facilitate a couple of
starters and almost like introductions, and then the first question

(27:15):
and then you just watch these these groups just burst
into conversation because all you've done is just enabled it.
You've just started a conversation, and you've done it with
introductions so everyone can just get a feel for each person.
And then you've given them one question and the one
question is related to the theme that you're looking after,

(27:36):
and then you just watch them go. And then I literally,
as a facilitator, I just stand there and I just
watch for about forty five minutes all these conversations going on,
and I never have to get to question two, three,
four or five. I very rarely do I ever get
into the questions. There's been one occasion, I think in
the last year, where I've gone into that question two
and three. Every other time, I've just had one question

(27:58):
and then it's just gone into all these different types
of conversation, but on that key theme that they were
there to discuss. And all it is is they found someone,
say who was another parent who was looking for some
support around schools and education, and they're just having this conversation,
just bouncing back and forth. Or they might be in
the physical activity area and they've just found another person

(28:18):
who's doing something similar to them, or they're doing the
same sport and they're just bouncing back with idis, and
it's just it's brilliant to watch, and that really really
demonstrates what those events are all about. For us. It's
about bringing the big themes, making sure people feel that
they can get some answers and some insight and some support,

(28:39):
and then just finding people on the day that they
can connect to. And that's what a community event is
all about.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
Yeah, I'm just beaming because I think from my own
experience I've been in that place and unlocking that first
conversation and just watching like how transformative that can be
for people who've never been able to sit in a
room and speak about these things that we know too well,
too closely, and deal with every day without really ever

(29:08):
kind of being able to express that. I'll make sure
that we've got some information in the show notes so
that people can go and find out more about where
the next events are and more information about that. This
episode of Type one on one is sponsored by Dexcom.
Using DEXCOMCGM has given me so much confidence to make
informed diabetes treatment decisions. In the moment, you can choose

(29:30):
to wear it on your arm or your abdomen, which
is so great. To give those sites a break and
all dex commcgms have the share and Follow feature even
when connected to an insulin pump, so family and friends
can see your glucose levels and get alerts, giving that
extra bit of support when needed. Head to dexcom dot
com to request a free dexcomone plus sample. Always read

(29:52):
the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk
to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and
terms of you. Yes, let's get into your lived experience
and how that's kind of driven your path I guess,
and your life's work. So it's powerful stuff. You were

(30:14):
diagnosed at eight years old as a child in Redditch.
You were already playing football, I believe. So can you
tell us a little bit about the way that type
one diabetes was introduced to you at that age? What
you remember thinking specifically in relation to whether you would
be able to continue even with the sport that you loved,

(30:34):
and what was going on at the time.

Speaker 2 (30:37):
Yeah, I've said it a few times, but it's probably
a week as an eight year old that you don't
really forget, and it's quite often the rest of that
time in your life you don't really remember, but that
week sticks in your mind. So I think the key
part is the family link, which probably helped me not

(30:58):
become extremely unwell with type one diabetes or undiagnosed type one.
My grandfather had the condition, so I think as a result,
my mum was more clued into the symptoms and what
might be happening than you know, someone who might have
never come across the condition before. So yeah, it was

(31:20):
the summer of nineteen ninety nine. I was eight, and
it just it was the back end of the summer.
So it was the kind of as things started to
get a bit cooler, and all of a sudden, the
version of me that was running around during the school
holidays drinking lots because it was hot, running around sweating
and feeling tired maybe or you know, going to the toilet.

(31:42):
Those things are masked a little bit by me being
a really sporty football kid. So it's that's when the
moment arrives early September, first day or so, due to
go back to school, or I think it was due
to go back to school, maybe the day after or
two days later, and it was like, this is not
looking right, and those classic four ties were continuing, and

(32:03):
my mum just thought, he needs to go and get checked.
So he went down to the local GP surgery fingerprick
blood test. I think it was twenty four. It came
out as and obviously I was unwell. I wasn't right,
but I didn't. I just remember feeling like, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure I get this because I didn't. I
wasn't super nwell where I couldn't lift myself. I was

(32:26):
still running around and doing things, but I just I
was probably a bit off. I'd probably weight loss was
there as well, and I think all of those things
combined meant that. Yeah. I think it was six for September.
It was a Monday, and I was you know, the
nurse said go straight to hospital, go to A and
E and they'll be ready for you sort of thing.

(32:48):
And then I was in in hospital. Then I remember
being put on a drip and I was there for
about three or four days. I remember going to the
hospital school, which is always a yeah, hospital.

Speaker 1 (33:01):
School, give a guy a break, Come on.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
I think I'm practicing handwriting, which is mad. But yeah,
I remember going into this school and I was on
my own one day, and then on the other day
I think I was there was another child in there
as well, but yeah, it was. Yeah, it's funny what
you remember people coming to visit you and just all
in a bit of shock. Really, it is a traumatizing

(33:28):
experience for an eight year old kid to go through.
And you know, I fixated on the can I still
play football? Piece, which was definitely the motivating I mean,
as a kid, that was all I wanted to do,
was just to play football. So when that came into
my world and all of a sudden you're in hospital,
you start asking some deeper questions and even as an
eight year old, you start to get that understanding of

(33:50):
life and you're going, this doesn't look good. Does what
does this mean? And luckily I had a pediatric diabetes
specialist nurse who is absolutely renowned in the region that
I grew up in for being unbelievable for kids. Our

(34:10):
name checker as well, so it was die Cleuly. She's
now retired, but she answered the all important question in
the all important way, which was to say, yes, Chris,
you will be able to still play football. We're just
going to have to work together on it and work
it out as we go. And that was that was it. Really,
that was all I needed to hear to know that

(34:33):
it was still there for me, but it wasn't going
to be easy, and I was always going to have
to work hard at it. And that was very very
evident from very very early on. That mixture insulin that
I was put on as an eight year old really
wasn't very good at coping with physical activity and sport.

(34:55):
So I quite quickly saw that the kid that was
playing really well was very inconsistent. And I think a
lot of people who would have watched me play football
as a kid would go from one week looked full
of energy, flying, doing loads of you know, doing what
I could do, and then another week be a shadow
of what I could do. And that continued for a

(35:16):
few years till things change, really, but yeah, it was.
It was a a start to type one life that
you you don't ever forget.

Speaker 1 (35:29):
Yeah, yeah, it's such a lot for anyone, but let
alone a kid who's just at that age of awareness
and you know, like you say, a bit more understanding
of the world and has started to follow your passions
and find what you like in life. And yeah, that's
a lot. How did you handle that? You've got that
initial yes, you can keep playing, but then the reality

(35:51):
of it was was pretty difficult. As you say that,
like shadow of yourself, the essence being taken away from
you from one day to the next, not knowing which
which version it's going to be. Yeah, what do you
remember and how did you approach that kind of as
a family.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
I think one area that really stands out is the
y me feeling of wise this happened to me because
I just yeah, they hugely impacted on what I was
able to do, and I felt that I really struggled
to come to terms with it. Certainly the first few

(36:28):
years there was a lot of tears, a lot of anger.
Nobody around me had this condition. All of my peers
that were doing all the things that I wanted to
do didn't have to deal with the things that I
had to do. Obviously, with the regime, that probably didn't
help either. Mixture insulin was very regimented with timings of
when you had to inject, when you had to eat.

(36:50):
It made you stand out more because you were having
to do things other in class where other kids didn't
have to do. And obviously children probably the these days
would never have to have to eat a set number
of biscuits at a particular time. That's just an unheard
of thing, but that was what had to happen. You know,
I'm middle of a lesson. It's half eleven half eleven.

(37:12):
Every day, I have to eat a set number of
biscuits to avoid going low because of the timing of
mixture into it. Children now will never have to understand that.
But also makes you stand out in a class, and
I struggled with that. I never really wanted to stand
out for it. And you know, you get the or
can I have some of those biscuits? So you know

(37:32):
that looks for that looks good and it was glorifying
something to the other kids, which I literally, you know,
I hated being Type one by diabetic at that time
of my life. I just you know, and I totally
enjoys it, but I really really really disliked it at
that point in my life and I just didn't want to.

(37:53):
I have struggled with the standing out piece, and then
when it came to sport, it just was, yeah, it was.
It didn't help me come into terms of it because
it was also impacting the thing that I really loved doing,
and it was making that more difficult, and how much
planning and how much work had to go into it

(38:14):
to even just attempt it on a Saturday or Sunday.
Because of all of that, it just made me hate
it for a years and it was difficult and until
I changed to Basil BOWLUS regime, that the kind of
MDI regime that probably many people with type one or
be on now. Until I got to that, it was

(38:37):
just yeah, all over the place a lot of the
time with finger prick testing as well. You know, fingers
are absolutely battered because you're having to do so many
finger pricks to just get a gauge, and all of
that time, you just I felt like I was building
up resentment towards it, which is not helpful when you
have to work with it to get you know, to

(38:58):
get wherever you want in life, you're going to have
to work with this condition. But I was just building
up resentment because of how it was negatively impacting the
things that I wanted to do and what I love doing.
And those were the early memories that I have. They're
not very pleasant about Type one, and there are good
memories of that time my life with things that I

(39:19):
did do in school and things like that, but yeah,
I've probably just tried to forget a lot of it
around type one because I just found it so just
so negative.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
Yeah, completely understandable as well in terms of what your
priorities are at that age. But kudos to you for
pushing through and continuing with the football and your family
as well for taking that on, you know, and making
sure that you were getting to the pitch with all
that planning. I know it gets better, but I did
mention in the intro that you did face some stigma

(39:53):
as a person with type one diabetes as a kid.
So can you just speak to that a little bit
in terms of giving us the context of what I
you know, it led on to so many positive things,
but yeah, it's just so we've got a little bit
around that.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
Yeah, I think that, and hopefully it doesn't ring too
true these days, but it's an area which I think
hasn't moved on at the same speed as diabetes technology has.
I think attitudes and societal views of diabetes are unfortunately
quite similar to what we were facing as children in

(40:29):
the nineties and the early two thousands, And it's just
all the classic things comments in the playground, where were
you of you know, did you eat too many sweets?
Where you were fat kid? That's why you've got diabetes,
and you know classic ones where I was doing injection.
You're shooting up again? Can I get hit on that?
You know, all these these insinuations of what it is

(40:50):
that you're going through, and all of it's not very helpful.
It's very negative. Again, it just plays into my negativities
that I was feeling at that time, and it all
just makes you go into a bit of an even
darker place around diabetes where you just dislike it more,
and it changes your behavior around the condition as well.

(41:13):
You don't want to show the behaviors that you should
do with diabetes to help you manage it, so you
start doing things so that other people can't see it.
So you know, you know you should do an injection
before you eat, but actually at that moment, the food
was out and you just go, I can't really get
off here because all my friends are around. I'm not
going to do it in front of them. So you wait,

(41:34):
you eat, and then you go and inject twenty minutes
later in the toilet, and as a result of that,
you go Hi. You feel rotten. But that was the
choice you made because of the things you'd faced before,
the challenges of what people had said about you about diabetes,
and you made that decision because that's what society made
you feel that you had to do. And that's not

(41:57):
the thing that I've had to come to terms with
and probably is it wasn't my fault. Even though it
was my decision, that wasn't my fault to do that.
And that's what spared me a lot into trying to
make a difference in that space and bring people together
and change it. Is that there'll be other people that
felt that way, but we have to do something to

(42:19):
change that, and the way to do it is to
raise awareness, to challenge stigma, challenge stereotypes. But that's quite big,
that's quite sweeping. That takes a government to do, but
you can make a difference with peer support. You can
make a buffer against it by bringing people together, and
that really is what stems into the work that then

(42:42):
the diabetes football community comes about probably ten years after that,
you know, ten twelve years after that. An idea later
in life, you know, when you've gone through some other
things which happened and you just think, right, well, I
can think of a solution now which might have helped
me when I was thirty fourteen years old, the which
I needed, and that's what it helped design. Really. Then

(43:06):
out of all of that darkness and difficulty comes the
light of an idea and a spark and a moment
to create something which has helped people.

Speaker 1 (43:16):
Yeah, helped a lot of people, apart from something as
big as the diabetes football community, which we'll get into now.
Was there anything that you needed to hear at that
time as a kid, as a teenager that you from
someone you know going through all that, that you think
maybe would have given you a little bit of light

(43:37):
in what was some quite difficult experiences.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
I think even just even just acknowledgment of how I
was feeling, I think would have really helped. But also
I just probably needed to get that off my chest
as a kid, and I didn't have a place to
do it, and my mum and dad were working so
hard to help me. I just never and as a

(44:04):
whether it's right or wrong, but you you know, toxic
masculinity I'm in football, I mean, with teenage boys talking
about something and how you feel and how you're feeling
about your medical condition as openly as that is really difficult.
And actually, if someone could have just opened the door
Ajar to make me feel like I could talk about

(44:25):
what it was that I was going through in my
head would have been the thing I needed. We never
got there, It never quite happened. But in years to come, obviously,
I've had that chance to almost reconcile with myself about
it all, and in my mid twenties late twenties sort
of almost be on a path to repair in some

(44:47):
of that damage by some of the work that's gone
in to helping others and realistically helping myself, helping that
younger version of me heal because I see a lot
of like trying to heal my younger in what I
in what I've been doing.

Speaker 1 (45:04):
Yeah, that's a powerful driver for sure. Thank you for
sharing that. I know that's a big deal, but I
think it's relevant in that there will be people listening.
There'll be parents listening, teachers who know that little Chris,
who have that person in their life, you know. So yeah,
thank you for that. Let's talk about the Diabetes Football
Community for people who don't know what it is, just

(45:25):
kind of explain that and also what you've achieved with
it over the years since it was founded in twenty seventeen.
The connections you've made, the community you've built. Yeah, I'd
love to just hear about that.

Speaker 2 (45:36):
Yeah. So just an unbelievable project which never really thought
would be in this place the years on, but it's
The diabetes Football Community was designed as a connecting project,
peer support, bringing people together, but with the premise of
obviously using football as that mechanism and that hall to

(46:00):
bring people together, so focusing in on football and then
bringing diabetes with it. So the reason we come together
is to do football and to talk about football and
to play football or foots out, not just to be
there because we're all living with diabetes. The diabetes it
becomes you know, after you've had a kick about for
a bit and you've talked about whose football team is

(46:21):
the best at the time, and obviously, just to add
this in, Aston Villa is the best team to talk
about and the best team to obviously be championing that conversation.
So when I've got that off my chest with everyone,
then maybe a little bit later on we talk a
little bit about diabetes and it might filter in and
then some people might see some behaviors about diabetes around

(46:42):
the football pitch, which poses them some questions. Makes them
feel more open about talking about it or using those
doing those behaviors like checking their book glue, because it
just normalizes living with diabetes in a place and in
an industry where it was never normal before. Football has
never been a place where it's just accepting that someone's

(47:04):
going to do an injection on the side of the
pitch and fingerprick testing or checking technology that's come with time,
and football is improving with all of that, but you know,
you go back to twenty ten, that's not something or
twenty fifteen or twenty sixteen, twenty these years, they're not
really seeing much of that. So we're trying to champion
that and bring people together through football, make make it

(47:29):
more normal and interest encourage, encourage people with diabetes to
connect with each other, and loads of different projects, whether
that's the men's team and the European Foot Sale Championships
for people with diabetes representing the condition and the country,
the women's team which have played fixtures and come together.
We do the kids' football festivals, so we bring families

(47:51):
together so that the parents can meet each other on
the side of the pitch while all the kids are
running around on the pitch. We're doing one this summer
as well. Loads of Type one kids signed up for that,
which should be amazing. WhatsApp groups, which again a really
brilliant way using modern technology to bring people together and
have those conversations. And then we've done things like blugs

(48:14):
through the website We've got, We've had a podcast which
we did mostly during those pandemic years to try and
keep people engaged and with some of the work that
we're doing. To be honest, I wish I could revisit it.
It's just the time. I wish I could go back
and do support podcasting, but I just I can't fit
it in. And yeah, we're just coming up with innovative
or trying to think of innovative ideas which use football

(48:38):
as the first port of call as to why someone
would come along, and then just bringing diabetes gently into
that conversation. And yeah, and just providing that support mechanism
and support tool.

Speaker 1 (48:52):
Yeah, wonderful. Is there a particular experience, given you know,
the experiences that you had as a child, Is there
a particular memory or something that stands out from this
work that sticks in your mind where you thought, wow, okay,
seeing that unlock in that child or that conversation open
up or just you know, an experience. Can you recall

(49:14):
something in particular.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
I mean there's there's loads I mean going along to
see kids playing with typewan and meet their parents and
meet the kids and kids that have got the condition,
to take pictures with them and then years later say
that you know it inspired them and it supported them.
Just having those conversations with their with parents and children.
Just having that is amazing. One thing that really stands

(49:39):
out to me, and it's somebody who's a friend of
mine now but who came into the diabetes football community
and it must have just landed at the right moment
for him in his life. He is done a podcast
as well, so this is aren't this You can listen
to this, But essentially he said the way he was

(50:00):
working with his diabetes at the time, he thinks if
he didn't find the diabetes football community'd be six feet under.
So he genuinely thinks that if he hadn't found this community,
he wouldn't be here. So that's like, for me my
point of view, You've indicate everything that we've ever done
and what we do like a millionfold. Because if that's

(50:24):
the impact that it has for one, For one man
who just needed somewhere that connected to him and his
soul and what he you know, what his interests and
what he was about, it's worth its weight in gold,
hopefully to then many many others. If that's the impact
that it can have for one, I just I hope

(50:45):
that it spreads that kind of support to so many
others as well. So I would highlight that the impact
that it has on the kids is just yeah, it's mad.
It's like it's like watching magic and the way that
they then interact and some of them have got their
own like Instagram like accounts that their parents run, and
they're showing off their devices. They're wearing the kit they're

(51:08):
wearing like the Diabetes Football Community kit, like the tea,
the full playing football strip, wearing that they come to
the events in the full football strip. They're wearing their
technology with pride. Like I just it's it's like watching
a dream that I wish I could have dreamt when
I was a kid, Like that is the exactly what

(51:28):
I needed when I was nine, ten eleven, which now
I just get to see it play out in front
of my eyes and it is just yeah, it is magic.
It really really is.

Speaker 1 (51:38):
Yeah, okay, we will make sure as well that that
info is all but like for people to find should
they be inspired to take a look. So I think
that really does sort of set the scene and pave
the way for the work that you are doing now,
you know, up with government bodies and these very important
figures who baby could not fathom why anyone would be

(52:01):
feeling that way because they live with type one diabetes.
So can you speak to that a little bit in
terms of what's still out there and in terms of
work that needs to be done.

Speaker 2 (52:13):
Yeah, oh one D per I mean that we're in
a place where we've scratched the surface and we've demonstrated
a way of hopefully addressing the need which it does
which exists in this space, and coming up with some
solutions which if you know, they were scaled, might help.
But there is a lot to go after. And we've

(52:36):
talked about some of the barriers that I faced and
some of the challenges that I faced. They exist still.
There's been research and insight gathered by Breakthrough T one
D many others with with also in this space, researchers
or the charities, et cetera. And they point to a

(52:56):
need for supporting the community itself in terms of the
fear of hypo gloze sior around physical activity and exercise
is still high. How do we do that? More education,
more support for the community, healthcare professionals having more education
to then pass on all of that work. But one
area which is really stands out, which has continued, and
I touched on it earlier, was about stigma and stereotypes

(53:18):
existing and how that hasn't really got a solution attached
to it that I can see massively and then equally
in that same breath you could the other bit of
evidence which is coming through quite strongly in a number
of studies at the moment is the lack of awareness
and education for coaches and facilitators and those that deliver sport,

(53:40):
physical activity and exercise. So if you the part about
fear of hypergloscemia management of type one to try and
attempt physical activity and exercise, that's an area which seems
to have got quite a bit of attention and has
got healthcare professionals talking about it. Programs like x TODD
which provide education around that, has solutions developing and continuing

(54:02):
to develop. The bit about coaches and facilitators within a
sport who create the environment for people with type one
diabetes to participate in. That's really not been addressed and
it's really that's well evidenced in a paper which an
academic paper which may have been published at the time
this comes out, may not have been, which has gone

(54:25):
and looked at all one hundred and eighty four national
governing bodies which look after a sport in the United
Kingdom and has asked them for do they have a
diabetes policy? Do they have a set of guidelines? Do
they have something to help with making an inclusive environment
for someone with diabetes? The number which said yes is

(54:48):
below ten out of one hundred and eighty four national
governing bodies. So when you're trying to create an environment
and you're trying to make someone feel welcomed with it,
there's no If there's no education, no provision, no policies,
no guidelines or very very few, that's going to be
quite difficult to create an environment which helps now the

(55:11):
challenge then, so you've got that bit of information. The
next bit, which is where I think we've managed to
get to now with the UK government agreeing to a
debate in the House of Commons on the third of
September twenty twenty five, which is massive news is because
when you position that in society and you start to

(55:32):
go right, how many people live with diabetes? So you've
got five million people with diabetes and in sport you're
telling me there's no guidelines, no provision for five million
people with diabetes or very few. Then you can go
a step further into the detail and go right about
three and a half million people then are living with
a hidden disability, so they take medication for diabetes, so

(55:55):
they're classified by the Equality Act as living with a disability.
That means three and a half million people with a
hidden disability where there's no specific provision, pathway or education
attached to or very little around for three and a
half million people, which I think is what's then got
the movement forward for the debate from the government is

(56:19):
that they've seen that that's quite well, that is a significant
amount of people classified as living with a hidden disability
who at the moment have very little provision, education and
yeah support provided for within sport and physical activity. And
you see that in the experiences, and you see that

(56:40):
in the evidence and the surveys which exist and why
people with type one are less active than the general population.
It's a well known fact, it's well evidenced in research.
So we're at full speed ahead, gearing up for trying
to take the net step. I'm challenging for more. You know,

(57:03):
the diabetes football community key in there, but realistically, Breakthrough
t one D has been an amazing advocate for this
to push this forward and given the support and the
evidence and the ability to work in partnership with the
other key organizations to make this a reality. And now

(57:23):
we're at the space where we just need to raise
awareness of that debate, make sure MPs are geared up
for it and keen to attend and support the needs
of the diabetes community out there.

Speaker 1 (57:35):
Yeah, that's shocking, isn't it When you think about how
many people that is and something as big as sport,
it's vast. Wow. That's taking me aback a bit. What
has the reception been like from these influential figures, government
figures as this has gained traction in this way.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
The answer is, I'm not sure sure at this moment
in time. I know what I raised the issue personally
with my own MP. He's then taken the evidence I
presented him, and he's the one that's then been able
to deliver a debate in the House of Commons based
on the insight and evidence that I gave him. So

(58:22):
it would be unfair for me to try and comment
on what government officials are thinking and feeling, because I
just don't know what they're thinking and feeling on it,
because the conversations will be amongst MPs and Members of
Parliament and members of government. And I guess we will
see in the House of Commons when they debated, for

(58:44):
everyone to see what the thoughts and feelings are around
the subject of diabetes in sport on the third of September.

Speaker 1 (58:52):
And what's the ultimate goal that you would like to
see here?

Speaker 2 (58:56):
I think there's different versions of a solution, but ultimately
is to try and create a more inclusive environment for
people with diabetes interacting with physical activity and exercise. There
will be a number of different ways of doing that.
You could amend laws, you could mandate education, you could
create pathways and specific diabetes provision which it might exist.

(59:20):
There's different versions of a solution, but ultimately the overall
objective has to be we've got to improve the inclusive
nature of sport and physical activity because the experiences are
variable and some poor, and the numbers of people participate
in sport physical activity is less in proportion to those

(59:42):
from the mainstream population. They all those without medical condition.
So we have to try and build that up.

Speaker 1 (59:48):
Yeah, and in terms of approaching change or using your
voice for change, You've got a lot of experience in
this world where you've seen change come about from the
way that you tackle it, from the way you approach it.
And you know, people rightly get very worked up on
social media and things when we point out quite rightly

(01:00:09):
these things that are negatively impacting people living with diabetes.
What would you say is effective when it comes to
communicating the need for change for people, just for people
listening who have maybe been inspired to use their voice
based on the things that you've been saying today.

Speaker 2 (01:00:28):
I think probably one of the key things is building
an argument. So working out what it is exactly that
you're looking for and what you're hoping to change, and
how you and who you need to work with to
make that change. Evidence based is massive. Having a pool
of evidence to pull, to pull upon and to analyze

(01:00:50):
and get insight from to then build that build more
onto your argument is huge, and I think then it's
it's a way and mean about of going about it
as well. I think it's collaboration. I think it's understanding
that coming into that conversation and the other person isn't
going to know, So you really have to give good

(01:01:13):
context to everything and really position it in the world
of never you will have never come across diabetes. Potentially
this person before. How am I going to make you think?
This is a big issue and something I need you
to address. So you have to frame it in a
way that somebody who's never come across diabetes before would

(01:01:34):
go right. That's quite a lot of people there. That's
what we've done in sport. You could hear the way
I framed it lots of people. I reference the Equality Act,
the whole hidden disability. You have to build it around
the frameworks which exist and use what you have in
terms of evidence and the solutions and the solutions that

(01:01:56):
you can think of, but also having a solution at
the end, something you can straight away go I know
what we could do. I've already got something will be
very helpful for someone you're trying to influence because they
can go right here's your argument, here's the context, here's
your evidence base. And actually the solution you're presenting isn't
too far from what I might be thinking. You've actually

(01:02:17):
given me everything I would need to potentially make a
change here, or at least get us started on a
conversation towards change. So I think it's building a painting,
a really nice full picture.

Speaker 1 (01:02:33):
Yeah, I think that's helpful. Well, you know, whether we're
talking about MPs or we're talking about your child wanting
to try swimming for the first time, and there's no
framework or experience in that particular swimming club. And also
the power that setting a precedence can have. It just
takes one solutions focused person to collaborate with, you know,

(01:02:57):
in that one swimming club for them, there to be
a framework for the region. And then you know how
many kids does that impact? And we can see how
this spirals And that's something that I think I often
need to be reminded of as well. So thank you
for that. Have you seen that go from you know,
that one conversation, that that ripple effect, I mean you
said it earlier when we were talking about real world

(01:03:18):
events as well, like bringing people together just to be
able to even articulate what they're feeling. But in terms
of putting things in place that do create change for people.

Speaker 2 (01:03:28):
Yeah, I mean the example we've got is guidelines that
have been written by a couple of national governing bodies
in sport were co produced through using the evidence, using
this argument really about evidence, using my own personal experiences
as well, and sometimes that's that's really helpful, so people
can get a feel for the emotion attached to it

(01:03:48):
as well, but not over using it, using you know,
using it enough, but not leaning that's your only part
of your argument, because if it's the only part of
your argument, people can get sometimes was a little worn
by emotion being used all of the time. It is
powerful and we have to harness it, but you have
to harness it around other parts of the of the

(01:04:11):
of the picture that you need to paint. So I've
used that as well to work with say the Football
Association in Wales. My own experiences with with you know,
playing in playing in Whales and playing for Whales and
foot out it was a big, big driver to get
something over the line using personal experience and then adding
the data and evidence and now there's a set of guidelines.

(01:04:32):
There's a diabetes and football set of guidelines that the
Football Association of Wales have written. It exists, it lives
online and I've had a number of people reach out
to me, coaches, parents of children that have passed the
guidelines on and the coaches then have said this has
been really helpful to help with you know, little Johnny
or whoever it is, has been taking part in the
in the football sessions. So you can just feel how

(01:04:56):
something you've done has made an impact out there and
it has been what sort of I've heard about it regularly,
which is which is brilliant to see.

Speaker 1 (01:05:06):
Yeah, wow, phenomenal. And for people who are inspired by
this conversation and by you to use their voice, where
would you suggest people start in terms of you mentioned
going to your MP and that the kind of knock
on that that's had in terms of driving something forward.
But what can people do maybe in regards to break

(01:05:31):
you through T one DP maybe not? Maybe outside of that,
where would you send people who are inspired to kind
of get involved?

Speaker 2 (01:05:40):
Yeah? I think maybe just to start with is sometimes
just getting involved in the community and listening and having
conversations and starting to work out you know how your
voice fits within everything that's going on out there and
networking really and finding people like you, building conversations, having

(01:06:02):
those having those chats which help you down a path
of how you could potentially use your voice. And then
there's loads of different ways and vehicles to do it.
You know, you could, as you and I have done Jen,
taken to social media to talk and to showcase what
it is that we want to talk about in terms
of our condition is a great way of doing it.
I think you can get involved with charities. Break Through

(01:06:24):
tea one D brilliant place to start, lots of different
volunteering opportunities, lots of work being done in that space.
Coming along and sharing your stories for other people to
hear through community events. Again, brilliant way to advocate for
yourself and advocate for a particular theme that you might
want to get to get out there or raise more

(01:06:45):
attention of, or to network and let people know what
you've been up to. So's, yeah, there's an array of
things to do, but you've also got to find what
fits for you. And some people might prefer to write
a blog, you know, and write something down and not
be in the forefront and a little bit more behind
the screen, and other people might be really comfortable to

(01:07:06):
stand at the front of a room and talk to people.
So you've got to find what's right. But I think
where I started was really networking in community and chatting
to people. And in two thousand and in the twenty
sixteen twenty seventeen, I joined the diabetes community and I
was just on Twitter, networking, messaging, tweeting, and that was
it for a while, all began, It all began, Yeah,

(01:07:29):
where it all started?

Speaker 1 (01:07:31):
Oh, dear, and look at you now. I mean that
if you could say something to that young Chris, who was,
you know, not enjoying his diabetes as you said, no
one enjoys it, but feeling as you were feeling as
young Chris, what would you say to him? Now?

Speaker 2 (01:07:51):
Yes, it's deep, isn't it that that I would probably
say to him, You'll be all right, mate, trust.

Speaker 1 (01:07:59):
Me nice and for you just quickly. I know I've
taken up a lot of your time. But is there
an ultimate goal? Is there enough? Is there somewhere where
you think, yeah, my work here, I've done a good job.
I mean, you've already done a good job, but for
you personally.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
Again, great question I'm not sure. I think I'm a
sort of person that I take it each day as
it comes. I'm working towards certain things, and I think
the moment I start to dry up on ideas and
when I start to think that I maybe my passion

(01:08:41):
starting to waiver or or other thing, you know, life
might come at me in a different direction. You know,
there's always stuff which happens. So I think until those
things happen or change, I'll be quite all right, just
champion in the next thing and moving on to advocate
for the next area that I need to go afterre
and work through, whether that's breakthrough T one D or

(01:09:04):
personally in my own world. So, yeah, it doesn't look
like anytime soon, but I don't know whether. I'm not
sure when enough will be enough. But I'm going to
leave that up to what I can't control, which is
a future.

Speaker 1 (01:09:18):
Yeah. Yeah, well, I was going to say, it sounds
like you'll be keeping yourself busy for quite some time.
And you know, I can speak definitely on behalf of
the community to say that we're very grateful, because I mean,
it's a cliche, but it's true. But a lot of
light does come out of the darker moments and you've
gone beyond that, You've become the light, if you know,
a torture in the forest, as you said to me,

(01:09:39):
which I know isn't easy. So hats off to you
for turning that pain into power, which you really are,
you know, changing the future for for a lot of
people living with this condition. So how can people find you?
Where should they go to say hello? So?

Speaker 2 (01:09:56):
I mean Instagram, TikTok, X, threats, I mean if threads
is a thing now, I mean I'm all of them.
I'm at Chris Brady so that's Chris Bright with a
Y on the end, and then one so at Chris
Brighty one, and then the Diabetes Football Community. So it's
the Diabetes Football Community dot com. You'll if you go

(01:10:17):
on to Instagram, the Diabetes Football Community, you'll find it.
It's at Diabetes Football on TikTok, It's at TDC diabetes
on X. So yeah, any of those will you'll end
up finding me or the Diabetes Football Community.

Speaker 1 (01:10:33):
Great. Is there anything else you want to add as
parting words to the to the listeners.

Speaker 2 (01:10:39):
No, just to say yeah, I really enjoy the conversation, Jen,
thank you for having me. And also for the incredible
work you've done in the community to help people, to
bring stories to light and to help people on that
advocating journey, and yeah, giving people their voice, I think
is podcasts like this which really inspire people to get

(01:11:01):
out there and talk and share. So thank you for
your amazing service to our Type one community as well.

Speaker 1 (01:11:07):
You're very very kind. I am going to, in a
very British way, side step that and say, yeah, we're
super super lucky to have you in this community. And
it's been a great conversation and I'm so happy we
got to have it. So thanks. I hope you enjoyed
this episode of Type one on one. Please remember that
nothing you hear on this podcast should be taken as

(01:11:29):
medical advice. I'm definitely not a healthcare professional. If you
like what you hear, hit subscribe and do leave a
little review on iTunes if you have time. It really
helps to spread the word about type one diabetes, and
thank you so much for listening.