Diabetic to carry Olympic torch through Brighton

A 44-year old diabetic man has been chosen to carry the Olympic torch through the streets of Brighton next summer as part of the 70-day torch relay before the London games. Steve McMenami, who has had type 1 diabetes since 2005 and takes daily insulin injections, was chosen as one of the 8,000 torchbearers due to how well he has deal with this condition and the example he has provided to other sufferers.
McMenami, from Hurstpierpoint, has swam the English Channel since his diagnosis, as well as taking part in the demanding Iron Man event, and is now a race director for the Mid Sussex Triathlo, and was nominated as a torchbearer by a friend’s wife. He admitted “This is absolutely incredible. I am so excited and I still can’t quite believe it.”
He added “I was a drinker and a smoker and eating all the wrong things. Having diabetes made me totally change my life and adopt a healthier lifestyle. I started training to take part in triathlons and a couple of years ago I was part of a group who swam the English Channel. I couldn’t even swim before I was diagnosed.”
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games has so far made nearly 7,000 conditional offers to potential torchbearers, with final selection to be announced next March.