LIVINGLIVING
MY DIABETES KIT
JERRY GORE
When I caught up
with Jerry Gore
to interview
him, he was in
Thailand, so it
seemed sensible to ask, why was he
there? By Sue Marshall
"
I've just completed an annual
fundraiser for Action4Diabetics,
the charity I run to help raise
awareness and give support and
education to children with Type 1
diabetes in Asia. The British Ambassador
came and did a speech and 20 people
were enrolled in our Support a Child
programme. The Ambassador has
adopted a child in this program. There
were about 170 guests and we raised
just under US$30,000, so it was very
successful and as a result of this we can
double the size of our program here. So
far we have five locations across Thailand
and the charity is only two years old."
So what is his background?
I was trained as an officer in the Royal
Marines, earning my green beret in 1982.
After leaving the Marines, I'd gone into
consultancy and also running outdoor
activities, becoming a very experienced
mountaineer. It's possible that I am the
best Type 1 mountaineer in the world
based on what I've climbed. For example,
in 2015, I climbed the north face of the
Eiger. The international record for a solo
ascent is just under three hours; for a continued over
HIGH STAKES. Top right: Jerry G
under his jacket when climbing co
injecting. Above: He made it, hold
team of two it's normally six hours. I
was 54 at the time and climbed it with a
young man called Claum Muskett, 22 at
the time, and we did it in just under eight
hours. I believe I'm the first - and currently
only -- Type I Himalayan mountain guide.
I've climbed Cholatse, which is in the
Nepalese Himalayas and over 6400m
high. I took nine clients to the summit and
back with a fellow climber Maal Haskins. It
is the most technically difficult Himalayan
challenge.
And what about his diagnosis?
Looking back on my diagnosis I think
I know why I got it when I did, it was
simply that I was under too much stress.
It happened on January 31 in 2001. I
was working as a freelance marketing
consultant and I had two young children
aged three and six. I was also training
and going on Himalayan expeditions.
On that particular week, I'd been on
a course for five days then ended up
working over the weekend too. I felt
exhausted when I was driving home on
Sunday night. I realized that my eyesight
was hazy. When I got home my wife, who
was once a paramedic ambulance driver,
said she thought it was Type I diabetes
after I told her my symptoms: drinking
a lot of water, peeing, weight loss, the
dodgy vision, feeling tired. It was all quite
obvious looking back. I saw my GP on
the Monday who sent me for a blood test