A fundraiser from Cumbria is preparing to paddleboard 100 miles across each of the major lakes in the Lake District to raise funds for Diabetes UK.
Adrian Angell, who hails from Cumbria but now lives in Cincinnati in the USA, will be returning to the county to complete the 100-mile challenge in June.
He was due to take on the challenge last June, but COVID-19 travel restrictions meant he had to change his plans.
After last year paddling 50 miles along the Ohio River to raise funds for Diabetes UK, he’s now looking forward to finally heading back to the Lakes.
Adrian, a chemical engineer who has lived in the USA since 1995, has raised thousands of pounds for Diabetes UK since he started fundraising in 2018 by paddleboarding the English Channel.
He began fundraising following a suggestion from his niece, Megan, 24, from Derby, who has type 1 diabetes and has received help and support from Diabetes UK since her diagnosis.
Adrian, 55, who grew up in Seascale said: “I’ve already started training as this challenge will be tough both physically and logistically. I can’t wait to head back to Cumbria and the Lake District and to get back on my paddleboard in such a beautiful and scenic part of the world.
“It was disappointing to not be able to come back to the Lakes last year but I’m even more motivated now to take this challenge on.”
Adrian will be paddle-boarding the length of each of the major lakes and back, which will include Windermere, Wastwater and Coniston and cover more than 100 miles of water.
His affinity with outdoor sports started when he was growing up in Cumbria. His parents were keen climbers and mountaineers.
Passion for watersports
He started watersports in the 1980s, training as a windsurfing instructor before moving into paddle-boarding in 2007.
Adrian hopes to complete the 100-mile paddle come wind, rain or shine across June 19-20 to coincide with the end of Diabetes Week.
He added: “Diabetes UK has helped and supported Megan over the years. As a teenager she went to Diabetes UK youth events including residential outdoor activity centres with other young people with diabetes, she has used their helpline to get advice and research sponsored by the charity has helped provide better treatments to help her live well with the condition.
“I hope that my efforts will help them to continue their vital work.”
Clare Howarth, head of the north of England at Diabetes UK said: “We’ve seen demand for our services reach record levels over the last year, while our own funding has been significantly impacted.
“More so than ever, people with diabetes need us, but we need your support to be able to continue fighting their corner.”
“We want to thank Adrian for this incredible effort. Without the help of generous supporters like you, we simply would not be able to offer support to the thousands of people with diabetes contacting our helpline, to campaign to keep people with diabetes safe in the workplace, or to invest in vital research – taking us a step closer to our vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm.”
