Boxing star Anthony Crolla backs diabetes campaign

British boxing star Anthony Crolla has backed a diabetes campaign involving a nine-year-old girl.
The WBA world lightweight champion turned up to an awards ceremony which was held in Paige Aljofref’s honour in Lancashire.
Paige was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in June and to raise awareness for the condition her father Omar organised a gruelling 30-mile run through Dartmoor National Park (pictured) in Devo, with funds going to Diabetes UK.
The charitable participants, who raised more than £2,600, were presented with awards by the famous athlete.
Speaking to The Bury Times, Omar said: “Paige was completely overwhelmed when Anthony Crolla turned up to congratulate everyone. She’s so grateful for what everyone’s done she welled up on Sunday. The Dartmoor course is one of the three tests you have to pass to get into the Royal Marines so it’s not an easy one.
“Her uncle, Kris Foster, who’s in the Royal Marines, planned the route and took us through it. With all the travelling down to get there we only had a few hours sleep before getting on with it.
“We did six-mile intervals with a 10-minute break in-between each one. Four of the lads are ex-Royal Marines, including myself, but the others hadn’t done anything like this before.”
Paige has had to adapt to injecting insulin daily, but her father insists she otherwise lives a normal live.
Omar added: “Paige is loving, enthusiastic and caring and has inspiring dreams to be a gymnast when she’s older.
“We’re aiming to make sure she can continue living her life as a normal child would and hopefully continue to fit in without being treated differently around other kids. We’re sure she will be able to maintain her dreams without feeling the odd one out.”