Dame Sarah Storey has revealed that her nine-year-old son has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The Paralympian shared the family health update in an Instagram video following her Strictly Come Dancing exit.
Her son was admitted to hospital a few days earlier with very high blood sugar, Sarah explained.
The update followed Sarah’s elimination from Strictly Come Dancing alongside partner Julian Caillon. She said she was grateful to return home, offering comfort and helping her son manage multiple daily injections.
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Dame Sarah Storey shares her son’s health update
Sarah, 48, explained that her daughter had received the same diagnosis 12 months earlier. Her husband Barney also has Type 1 diabetes.
She acknowledged that the condition can run in families, while describing her hope that one child might avoid it.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition. The NHS describes it as a condition in which the body cannot make the hormone insulin.
Sarah praised her son’s resilience, saying he was already giving himself injections and working out the dosages. Speaking in her Instagram video, she said: “But he’s doing an incredible job.”
In the caption, Sarah reflected on an eventful week and said she believed everything happened for a reason.
She also posted a selfie with her son on her Instagram Stories, alongside an update about his plans for the school break: “So good to see this little man planning the rest of his half term out as normal again.”
Dame Sarah Storey’s Strictly Come Dancing exit
Sarah and Julian left the competition after facing Bethany and Nancy in the dance-off.
They repeated their tango to Shania Twain’s That Don’t Impress Me Much, while their rivals performed a cha cha. The latter routine was set to Aretha Franklin’s Respect.
Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse voted to save Bethany and Nancy. Head judge Shirley Ballas said she would also have saved them if her vote had been required.
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Afterwards, Sarah thanked Julian for his teaching and support while speaking to host Emma Willis. The cyclist said she was proud of what they had achieved together during their weeks of training.
She said: “Getting to learn different dances is something I’ve never ever done or something I thought I could do.”
She added that she had enjoyed every minute of the experience.
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