ASK Rosie Forshaw what got her through the London Marathon and she’ll say the support of the crowds -– and a personal stash of jelly babies.

The sweets are virtually pure glucose and provide an immediate energy hit which, for Rosie, could save her life.

Exercise lowers blood sugar levels and that makes running 26.2 miles a remarkable achievement for the mum, who has diabetes.

She kept a packet of jelly babies to hand around the course and ate three every half hour to ward off a “hypo”, which can occur when the amount of glucose in the body drops.

Rosie, of Wick Lane, Ardleigh, said: “I’m a little bit stiff but I’m fine, and I felt pretty steady while I was running.

“I found it very emotional, and I was quite overwhelmed by the number of supporters and people cheering me on.

“I think I probably would have given up at 22 miles if hadn’t seen my family there.”

Her husband Chris was in the crowd with their 21-month-old baby, Alex, and Rosie’s dad, James Blyth.

Rosie was running for Diabetes UK and has so far raised more than £2,000 for the charity.

The 30-year-old was diagnosed with type one diabetes three years ago.

Over two or three months she had lost weight, was suffering cramps in her legs and had trouble sleeping.

Her GP made a connection between the symptoms, conducted a finger-prick test of her blood and sent her to hospital straight away.

Type one diabetes is the less common form of the condition, and affects the body’s ability to produce insulin.

It means Rosie has to regulate her own insulin levels by injecting the hormone five to six times a day.

She said: “There’s a massive difference between type one and type two diabetes, and it can be very frustrating, because everyone seems to think they know everything about it and tries to tell you what you should and shouldn’t be doing, and what you should and shouldn’t be eating.

“But the only people who really know are the health professionals, and it’s them I’m taking my advice from. They’ve been fantastic.

“One of the things I’ve noticed is that because people can’t see the disease, they often presume you’re OK, when there are actually a lot of underlying pressures and lows of being diabetic.

“That’s because it’s all based around the levels of insulin, which is a hormone.”

Rosie went on a Bertie course at Colchester General Hospital which teaches people with type one diabetes how to control their diets so they can still eat a bit of what they fancy. “It allows you to have as close to a normal life as possible,” she said.

“It teaches you to count how many carbs are in your food and inject your insulin according to how many carbs you’ve eaten.

“If you want to have a chocolate bar or an ice-cream, then you can, just as long as you adjust your injections “It completely lifts the idea that diabetics can only have sugary food when they’re having a hypo.

“The help I got on the course and from the team at Colchester General Hospital has been brilliant, and I don’t think I’d have been able to do any of this without their help.”

Hannah Griffiths, specialist diabetic dietitian at Colchester General Hospital, said: “She’s so motivated, and shows just how having diabetes shouldn’t have to have a huge impact on your life.

“Running the marathon is a tough challenge anyway, without having to juggle managing your blood sugar levels and replenishing your carbs. Rosie worked really hard and she’s done very well.”

To sponsor Rosie for Diabetes UK, send a cheque to Friesian Bungalow, Wick Lane, Ardleigh, CO7 7RF or visit www.virgingivingmoney.com and search for Rosie Forshaw.