At the age of just 17, Charlie Tuohy had to make a dramatic lifestyle change.

She had to give herself up to six injections a day and prick her finger every couple of hours after being given the diagnosis that she had type one diagnosis.

Today she is the customer relationship manager at Bolton based online electric retailer AO.

Charlie was diagnosed with the condition in 2013.

The Bolton News: The team on the walk

Thanks to research from JDRF and technological advancements, Charlie now wears an insulin pump and has a continuous glucose monitor sensor instead of having to prick her fingers.

She said: “I still have to constantly think about balancing my blood sugar so they don’t go too high or too low, but with more advances in technology I’ve been able to do anything I want in life.

She led her colleagues on a challenging six-hour hike to raise funds to pay for more research into the conditon.

The Bolton News: Walking route

The group, who are all members of the  retailer’s customer relationship management team, walked 19km around Rivington and Belmont in Lancashire to raise money for type one diabetes charity, JDRF.

The sponsored walk raised £1,587, including a £470 boost from the AO Smile Foundation, the retailer’s charitable arm.

The team have more than tripled their original target, which stood at £500.

Charlie said: “I’m so thankful to JDRF for everything they’ve done for me since I received my diagnosis, so I was really touched when my amazing team agreed to raise money for them. “

“From giving me lots of helpful material when I was diagnosed, to funding life changing research that’s had an impact on my daily life, I really want to give back them. 

“Doing the walk with the whole team was such a fun day, and it was a great opportunity to bond over the six hours it took us. The walk was challenging, but we stuck together as a team and made sure nobody got left behind.” 

Terence Lovell, fundraising and engagement director at JDRF UK, said: “We are so grateful to the team at AO for supporting our work at JDRF to find cures and support those living with type 1 diabetes.  This incredible fundraising walk has raised a brilliant £1,587 which will make a huge difference.” 

Head of CRM at AO, Craig Hogan-Farnworth said: “Type one diabetes is a condition that’s close to the CRM team, so it just felt right helping the charity try to find a cure.   

“It was quite a challenge, but the whole team worked together to make sure everyone was able to complete the walk, they did amazingly well.

“It was our first charity day as a team and we’re so thankful to AO for allowing us to swap some time at our desks to spend the day giving something back."