Freerider Chris Southwell turns Iron Man

Mark Pawlak    snowboardingholidays     Diabetes, Downhill, halfpipe, Iron Man, off piste, Skiing, snowboard, Snowboarding

If you know your powder from your halfpipe, you’ve probably heard of Chris Southwell, professional freeride snowboarder. What you probably won’t know is that Chris is turning to the Iron Man challenge to help promote the work of Diabetes charity Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Chris, ready to ride

Diagnosed with diabetes seven years ago, he’s proof that with determination and a positive outlook you can take on the greatest of physical challenges while managing the illness.

The Iron Man event will take place in November in Cozumel, Mexico. Between now and then, Chris will trade snow for swim and downhill for uphill as he pushes his body to the limit.

Only a select few get themselves into good enough shape to last the gruelling course (3.86-kilometre swim, 180.2-kilometre cycle, followed by a full marathon of 42.2 kilometres).

And only a handful of these have endured the days and weeks of training, all the while with a cautious watch on their insulin levels; it’s insulin that manages the glucose to help fuel the huge batches of energy Chris needs to make it through each session – and through every moment of the day.

We’re going to be supporting Chris from Facebook and through Twitter updates. If you’d like to see what he’s been up to and follow his preparation for the race, take a look at his blog.

Chris Southwell

JDRF

About the author

Mark Pawlak wrote 194 articles on this blog.

Editor at Adventure Sports Holidays, Mark's love affair with travel and the challenges of adventure sports continues... "You could save all year for a two-week, all-inclusive, doss by the pool, booze and buffet binge. Or, with a little planning and some good equipment, get off your arse and plan an adventure!"

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