Climbing Mount Kenya to raise funds despite suffering from the disease

A Putney man hopes to become the first ever UK type one diabetic to trek Kenya’s highest peak as part of his bid to raise money for Diabetes UK.

Putney resident, Dom Frost, is planning to scale Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa, to prove what is achievable despite the many challenges of a long term health condition.

Dominic Frost and Jen Chetwood

Aged 27, Dom has Type 1 diabetes, having been diagnosed at the age of 11. Sport and outdoor activity have been mainstays of his life, playing football for his universities, cricket and rugby as well as other outdoor pursuits. Jen Chetwood, his partner, is also taking on the challenge and will be supporting Dom in his attempt to scale the peak. Jen is impressive sportswomen representing Great Britain at Judo. She is also a National level hockey player and a keen skier.

Dom has been climbing and trekking all over the UK and now wants to push himself even further by climbing Mont Kenya to raise £5,000 for diabetes research, making him the first person form the UK with Type 1 diabetes to attempt this formidable challenge.

Mount Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa and the pair will be climbing to Point Lenana at 4,985 metres (16,355 feet).

Dom, 26, who works as a policy officer, wants to show people with diabetes that the condition doesn’t stop people meeting challenges and also to raise money to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

He says: “Diabetes has not stopped me from living my life the way I want too, nor has it stopped me from playing the sports I love. Mount Kenya will be no exception. By climbing this mountain it will show everyone that diabetes is no inhibitor of activity - you just have to plan well.

“And by raising money for diabetes UK and research into a cure, we can consign this irritating condition to the medical history books.”

Dom and Jen have been training hard in the gym and have also taken on long treks and climbs in Snowdonia and soon to be in Scotland.

Read Dom's blog on how he will change his injection levels, the training and the equipment used at. This site is a blueprint for other type 1 diabetes to follow, in order for them to tackle challenges they were once told couldn't be done by a type 1 diabetic.

March 27, 2017