Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre & Life Without Limits Campaign

by Steven Litas March 10, 2020

Welcome to March, and welcome to one of our most epic campaigns to date. We are proud to announce our support and collaboration with Bec Johnson, CEO of the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre and inspirational swimmer behind the Life Without Limits fundraiser. Before we dive into the excitement of it all (pun intended), let’s take it back to late 2019, when it all began…

Padbury Pharmacy owner and pharmacist, Steve Litas, was contacted by Bec just shy of Christmas last year, reaching out with an outlandish decree- Bec was going to swim 85,000 metres in a bid to raise $85,000 for the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre, located in Stirling.

Inspired by her might and dedication in the face of living with her own Type 1 daily struggles, Steve and Bec formed a dynamic duo. After learning more about Bec’s mission, Steve helped to kick it off with a $2.5K donation on behalf of Padbury Pharmacy and Alex Junior.

The Life Without Limits campaign is centred around Bec’s mission to complete three ultramarathon swims in three short months. The Rottnest Channel Swim (February), the Port to Pub (March), and a personal double crossing from Cottesloe to Rottnest and back (April). If Bec is successful, she’ll not only be the first person with Type 1 Diabetes to do a double crossing, she will also be the first to attempt the Southern Hemisphere’s longest open water race, and the first to undertake THREE solo Rottnest Channel Swims. It’s okay if you’re exhausted reading that… We’re exhausted writing it!

What’s more inspirational about this feat is that Bec is also living with Type 1 Diabetes, and has to manage her condition daily to ensure her health and wellbeing, in both training and daily life. Since her diagnosis at age 17, Bec has learnt discipline, adaptability and mental resilience, and wants to use this campaign as a way to show others living with T1 that there are no limits to what you can achieve. It’s also a way to share her own management tools and techniques, with Bec sharing her daily training routine, low-carb diet and experience of training with daily insulin injections.

Enter Steve; a passionate supporter of community initiatives, a sufferer of a chronic health disease himself, and the son of a passionate Rottnest Channel swim veteran (shout out to Alex Senior)! When Steve heard about Bec’s Life Without Limits campaign, there was no question about Padbury’s Pharmacy’s involvement, the question was how big can we go!

If you’ve visited the pharmacy lately you would have noticed our (not so) subtle nod to Bec’s campaign above our counters. We’ve hung it with pride and encourage our customers to ask us more about Bec and the Life Without Limits campaign!

We also have various ways in which you can donate towards Bec’s goal. If you’re in store you can pop your cash donations in one of our donation tins on our front counter. If you’re paying via card, just ask your friendly pharmacist to add a donation amount of choice to your purchase and we’ll add it to the tally! If you can’t make it in store to donate, you can also jump on the Life Without Limits website and directly donate via the link on the homepage.

But of course, this isn’t just about Bec! This is only a stepping stone in our goal to becoming your preferred Type 1 destination for all questions and queries regarding lifestyle, management and products. With the support of Bec and the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre, our team are in the process of sharpening up our skills and understanding, and are here to help you with anything you may need to know about T1. Should you need further assistance, we’re happy to put you in contact with our friends at the centre, or can even follow up all of your T1 questions and get back to you. Did you know that Padbury Pharmacy is also one of a limited number of registered NDSS outlets across Perth, allowing us to help service your T1 product requirements.

Having recognised a strong lack of accessible support and services for those living with and impacted by T1, especially in our northern suburbs, Steve and the team at Padbury Pharmacy are proud to collaborate with the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre, and to welcome our T1 community in store. We encourage you to reach out to us to see how we can help you to find your better.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout March and April as Bec tackles her final two swims; the Port to Pub and the double crossing. Plus, check out our in store display, resources and donations tracker- we’d love to hear what you think!

If you or someone you know is living with Type 1 Diabetes and has any contributions, ideas or feedback, please don’t hesitate to visit us in store or send us a message online. Support from the local community is what truly makes Padbury Pharmacy special, and allows us to continue supporting those who need it.