Ajay McCarthy (12-Woodridge) with Kyle Masterman (Butler). Photo: Martin Kennealey
Camera IconAjay McCarthy (12-Woodridge) with Kyle Masterman (Butler). Photo: Martin Kennealey Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Butler man embarks on 1000km Munda Biddi trail ride for diabetes

Lucy JarvisNorth Coast Times

KYLE Masterman will embark on a 1000km, 10-day ride to raise funds for the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre this weekend.

The Butler resident and friend Richard Reeves, of Ridgewood, will set off from Mundaring on August 25 for a mountain bike ride to Albany on the Munda Biddi track.

Mr Masterman said riding on the 1071km trail in the Munda-betes Epic Adventure would be challenging because he has type one diabetes, but he wanted to approach life “without limits”.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“I want to show people, particularly those involved with the diabetes family centre, that diabetes doesn’t have to limit your life,” he said.

“It’s about inspiring young kids to come out and live life without limits.”

One of the youngsters he hopes to inspire is Woodridge resident Ajay McCarthy (12), who was diagnosed with diabetes five years ago.

The Irene McCormack Catholic College student said he loved to play football and the drums as well as hanging out with mates.

His goal is to play in the AFL for the Dockers and he said monitoring his diabetes did not hold him back.

“It makes me feel stronger because I’m doing something with more stuff,” he said.

Mr Masterman said the trail ride would be “pretty gruelling” and he would have about 8kg of supplies on his bike each day.

“It’s going to be a tough ride, but I think the cause is worth it,” he said.

“Hopefully this will also inspire adults to step out of their comfort zone and try experience life a bit more.”

The fly-in, fly-out health and safety advisor said he felt isolated for the first 15 years after he was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 until he met others with it and found support through the family centre.

“There’s a lot of stuff that happens behind closed doors with this disease that people don’t see,” he said.

“It’s a scary disease but it doesn’t have to limit your life.”

His goal is to raise $15,000 for the Stirling-based centre and awareness of the disease through a website that will track his blood glucose levels.

He has been training two or three times a week on the Yaberoo Budjara Heritage Trail, which extends from Joondalup to Yanchep, as well as the Perth Hills on weekends.

The riders will leave the Mundaring Sculpture Park about 8am on Saturday, August 25.

To donate, visit http://give.everydayhero.com/au/munda-betes-epic-adventure and for updates on the ride, visit www.facebook.com/mbea2018 .

Mr Masterman also runs a blog about his life with diabetes at http://trainingt1d.wordpress.com and posts on Instagram via @mundabetesepicadventure.

For more information about the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre, visit telethontype1.org.au or call 9446 6446.