Befor
e
Getting fit –
and doing good
By trekking across the Arctic Circle, one man is
making sure sick children get the care they need,
and beating his type 2 diabetes on the way.
INTERVIEW: OLIVIA GORDON
Like many of us, Gary Swift can remember different enough to grab people’s attention can now be found at the gym. Half his time is
a time in his youth when he was slim, fi t and and prompt sponsorship. While searching spent working with weights, and cardiovascular
active, but then the daily grind got in the way. online he stumbled across a charity dog- workouts on the bikes and running machines.
The 53-year-old IT manager and father of six sledding trek across the Arctic Circle run by The other half of the time he’s in the swimming
found himself sitting at a desk for 10 hours a Across the Divide expeditions, and he knew pool – at fi rst the most he could manage was
day, then going home and collapsing in front it was exactly the goal he needed. In February 15 lengths, but these days he does 40. ‘It was
of the TV. The hill walking and swimming he’d 2011, a group of 13 trekkers – accompanied hard to motivate myself at fi rst, getting up early
once loved fell by the wayside and he soon by a local guide, a leader and a doctor – will fl y before work,’ he says, ‘but I’m loving it now
tipped the scales at almost 20 stone. to the northernmost tip of Norway and train because I’m feeling on top of the world and
Then, 10 years ago, Gary was diagnosed to sled with huskies, before setting off to cover seeing the benefi ts.’
with type 2 diabetes – probably linked to his The changes in Gary’s energy levels have
lifestyle – and it kept getting worse. At the start
‘In just his first
astonished him. Only a few months ago, he felt
of 2009, Gary got a shock when his doctor too lethargic when he got home from work to
told him he’d soon have to go on insulin. ‘I just
three months of
do anything. Now, he has a light supper and
didn’t want to go down that route and end up then it’s time for his second daily workout –
with collapsed veins or on dialysis. I had to do training Gary lost heading out for a one-and-a-half hour’s brisk
something about it,’ he says. ‘I decided I was
going to get off my backside and get fi t.’
2½ stone and
walk in the countryside.
A really worthy cause
8 inches off his
Right on track
And the benefi ts are awe-inspiring. Gary has
But for Gary, enrolling at the local gym wasn’t
waist alone’
already raised over £1,000 for Bluebell Wood.
enough. ‘I wanted a target to aim for and to do And in just his fi rst three months of training,
something for the community as well,’ he says. 200 kilometres in fi ve days through the snow between August and November 2009, Gary
He spotted a collection box in a local shop for and ice, sleeping in freezing huts. lost 2½ stone and 8 inches off his waist alone.
Bluebell Wood, a hospice which looks after ‘It’s not a case of sitting in a sled while the What’s more, from being on the point of
children with life-threatening illnesses near his dogs pull it,’ Gary explains. ‘You’re actually putting him on insulin, his medical team are
home in Rotherham. ‘I visited Bluebell Wood pushing the sled much of the time and the dogs now talking about reducing his medication.
and found that it does fantastic work but relies just help – so you have to be extremely fi t. The Gary’s goal is to lose 5 stone in total by April
entirely on donations – I just couldn’t think of only time you get to ride on the sled is when 2010, at which point he’ll be ready to begin
a more worthwhile cause,’ says Gary. ‘Looking you’re going downhill, and even then you’re long-distance endurance training (translation:
after terminally ill children and giving their standing on the brakes.’ long, steep, hill walks and cycle rides). He needs
families respite care, the staff there deserve At the time of his decision, it had been more to be able to walk 25 miles a day, and then get
medals, and I wanted to do my bit to help them, than 15 years since Gary had done any sort of up and do the same again and again over the
too.’ So Gary has set out to raise £5,000 in workout. So to prepare for the trek, he began fi ve days of the trek.
12 months as a contribution towards the an intensive, committed training regime which It’s incredible to think that almost all this
£2.5 million it takes to run the hospice every year. has seen his life transform completely. At 7am has been achieved with exercise alone, since
His next step was to fi nd a challenge every morning – including weekends – Gary Gary’s daily diet hasn’t changed substantially.
74 Sweet Magazine
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