Sweet Talk Heroes

Jack Perkins

Jack Perkins

In 2006, I was living the dream as a professional V8 Supercar racing driver when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and was told I would never race again.

I was shattered at first, thinking that all my plans for the future were destroyed.

But I thought, "Well, sure it's a major hiccup, but I've still got two arms and two legs. Surely I can manage this with the right help." I stood down from racing for a while to sort things out, and that was one of the hardest periods of my life. I had to sit on the sidelines and watch someone else drive my car at Bathurst - one of the biggest V8 races in the world.

But then I started to learn how to manage my diabetes with the help of my diabetes educator and endocrinologist. I learnt about the latest technology to monitor my blood glucose levels and identify problems early. I showed the international racing authorities that I was capable of racing safely and got special permission from them to keep competing.

So now I am living my dream and continuing to race V8's at fantastic venues like Townsville, Phillip Island and of course Bathurst. And I have learnt so much about managing diabetes along the way.

'Live your dreams' - Jack