Continuing our support for FRIO ambassador DiAthlete (Gavin Griffiths), we are proud to announce that FRÍO is sponsoring the second T1D Global Conference on Saturday 7th July 2018 at the iconic Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, South East London.

This year’s conference will include a delegation of “T1D Heroes” from across 6 continents of the world whoa re part of the League of DiAthletes programme, and will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to connect with the UK type 1 diabetes network, international role models, and leading diabetes healthcare professionals too.

The day will offer a friendly, open and insightful atmosphere and will be jam-packed with exhibits, talks, live guest speaker sessions and four panels focusing on four different diabetes topics including:

• The Global Panel: Sharing an insight to type 1 diabetes around the world and hearing about the incredible efforts of “T1D Heroes” in the League of DiAthletes programme from countries such as Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kuwait, Pakistan, Romania, Uganda and the United States. Guests can also find out more about the work of T1International from founder and director, Elizabeth Rowley.
• The Parents Panel: Featuring Annie Astle from the ‘understudy pancreas’ who is a popular advocate across the diabetes online community and mother of Mimi who lives with type 1 and is a celebrity face of JDRF! Becky Botham-Armstrong, daughter of cricket legend Sir Ian Botham, will also be on the panel as a mother living with type 1 and an avid fundraiser for type 1 diabetes. Simon Vinnicombe, father of George who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the early age of 5 months, will also chat about his experiences and the amazing challenges he has taken on to raise money for JDRF, including running three marathons in one day! DiAthlete’s mum Angela Griffiths will also join the panel to talk about how she helped him onto a path of positive advocacy after he was diagnosed with type 1.
• The Healthcare Professionals Panel: Featuring firm member of the diabetes online community, Dr Partha Kar, and lead paediatric diabetes dietitian, Francesca Annan.
• Sports and Exercise Panel: Featuring Wales international futsal player Chris Bright of the diabetes football community and Paul Coker who last year completed 40 half marathons to mark 40 years with type 1 and has started ‘1bloodydrop’, to help people with diabetes succeed in sport. Feel good radio host and active type 1 advocate Georgia Thomson, also known as ‘the fit diabetic’ will also join the panel as well as Pete Davies who marks his 60th year living with type 1 diabetes who will also be there to talk about his trek in Peru. Dr Lucas Fogarty, a former American football and baseball player will join the panel along with nutrition expert from Costa Rica Dr Paula Chinchilla who has type 1 diabetes and was DiAthlete’s nutritional adviser during his #DiAthlete100 challenge.

Guest Speakers: 

Daniela Rojas from Costa Rica will give guests an insight into her type 1 diagnosis in Central America, her experience of a diabetic coma, tackling diabetes “as if it was a marathon” and her active and extremely positive life with type 1 as a diabetes expert psychologist today.

Paul H Farrelly, a public speaker who inspired Gavin some 10 years ago. Paul will give his account of being diagnosed with type 1 during middle-age, his marathon running and an impressive bike ride from Portsmouth to Istanbul!

DiAthlete will host the panels on the day before sharing exclusive insights into his #DiAthlete100 challenge where he ran 25 marathons in just one month which also marked 100 global endurance feats accomplished by Gavin in the last 10 years!

Registration for the conference will be open from 9.45am at the King William Building, 3rd Floor of the Royal Naval College.

Please note: There is a registration request with a minimum £5 donation per adult ticket (over 16s) which will go towards the League of DiAthletes programme and T1International, supporting their type 1 diabetes education workshops and events around the world. If you’d like to donate more, you can do so via the JustGiving page here.

Children under 16 are more than welcome to attend but please inform Gavin in advance so that Sports Clinic activities can be arranged during the Parents & HCP sessions, where children can have fun, meet others and learn more about type 1 diabetes in a very informal and active style.

09.45 Registration, morning coffee and exhibition opens

10.00 Welcome, Gavin Griffiths (UK)

10.05 Elizabeth Rowley from T1International (UK)

10.15 Africa’s T1D Warriors, Vivian Nabeta from the Sonia Nabeta Foundation (Uganda)

10.25 T1D in Central America, Daniela Rojas (Costa Rica)

10.40 – 11.30 ‘Global’ Panel with League of DiAthletes: Tammy Moran (Australia), Dani Molina (Ecuador), Leonor Marchand (France), Audrey Holm (Ghana), Konna Boumaki (Greece), Apoorva Gomber (India), Mohammad Al Bahar (Kuwait), Eniola (Nigeria), Sana Ajmal (Pakistan), Teodora Andone (Romania)

11.30 Morning coffee break

11.40 – 11.45 DiAthlete speaker corner

11.45 – 11.50 Presentation from FRIO on the importance of insulin cooling

12.00 – 13.00 Diathlete sports clinic with Chris bright (UK), Dani Rojas (Costa Rica), Fred Appiah Twum (Ghana), Leonor Marchand (France), Talha Khan (Pakistan), Tammy Moran (Australia)

12.00 – 12.30 ‘Healthcare professionals in diabetes’ panel with Dr Partha Kar (UK), Dr Rob Andrews (UK), Francesca Annan (UCLH), Dr Kate Gajewska (Ireland)

12.30 – 13.00 ‘T1D parent’ panel with Simon Vinnicombe, Annabel Astle, Angela Griffiths

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch break and exhibition

14.00 – 14.30 Running? Cycling? Just living! with Paul H Farrelly (UK)

14.30 – 15.30 DiAthlete sports clinic with Kaylie Griffiths (UK), Dr Paula Chinchilla (Costa Rica), Audrey Holm (Ghana), Anum Anwar (Pakistan), Fred Appiah Twum (Ghana), Mohammad Al Bahar (Kuwait), Konna Boumaki (Greece)

14.30 – 15.30 ‘Sports, exercise and type 1’ panel with Chris Bright, Georgia Thomson, Paul Coker, Peter Davies

15.30 – 16.00 Afternoon break, coffee and exhibition

16.00 – 17.00 DiAthlete 100 Challenge with Gavin Griffiths and Dr Paula Chinchilla (Costa Rica)