"I couldn't even run for 90 seconds last year - now I'm doing the Sheffield 10K"

A man who has transformed his health in just over a year is among the thousands taking part in the Sheffield 10K this weekend.
Andrew on the run before taking part in the Sheffield 10KAndrew on the run before taking part in the Sheffield 10K
Andrew on the run before taking part in the Sheffield 10K

At the start of last year Andrew Boulby was overweight, unfit and coming to terms with being diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic.

Today he is five stone lighter and looking forward to taking part in one of Yorkshire’s most popular charity road runs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On Sunday September 22 Andrew, 36, will join thousands of other runners on the start line of the Asda Foundation Sheffield 10K.

His diagnosis followed a period of feeling very run down. Taking his wife’s advice, Andrew went to see a doctor and had some blood tests. Soon after he received a telephone call informing him that he had type 2 diabetes.

Andrew, who lives in Rotherham, said: “Not long prior to this I had started to do some walking rather than use the car just to start making a difference but clearly that and diet change weren’t going to be enough

“I fully accepted that I was where I was because of me and I was the only person who could change it.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After discussions with a friend who took part in triathlons, Andrew started on the couch to 5K programme and hasn’t looked back. He has run a 5K in Rother Valley and completed the Rotherham 10K in 1:05. A week after the Sheffield 10K he is taking part in the Yorkshire Coast 10K at Scarborough.

He said: “It is my intention to seriously consider moving up to 10 mile events at some point next year, with the view to a half marathon before I am 40-years-old.

“When I found out I had diabetes I weighed 20 stone but carried it well so you never really noticed, or I just ignored it shall we say. Currently I am just over 15 stone and since diagnosis I have halved my blood sugar and kept it stable.

“I fully accept my predicament was probably self-inflicted, given working nights and a poor diet.

That meant only I could make positive changes and it’s not been easy, still isn’t now, but to consider back then I couldn’t even run for 90 seconds and now I can do a 10k.”