Summiting Barriers: Rachel Smith’s Journey with Type 1 Diabetes to Antarctica’s Highest Peak

At just 28 years old, Rachel Smith is preparing to make history.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before her third birthday, she has never let her condition define her limits. Already having summited the highest peaks in South America, Africa, and Australia, Rachel now sets her sights on Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak at 4,892m.

In this conversation with host Eoin Walker, Rachel shares her remarkable journey:

• Growing up as the first child in Northern Ireland to use an insulin pump

• How evolving technology has supported her ambitions in medicine and mountaineering

• The unique physiological challenges of managing diabetes at high altitude and in extreme cold

• The balance between risk, resilience, and pushing human potential

• Her partnership with Breakthrough T1D and the importance of raising awareness

This is a story of grit, adaptability, and proving that chronic conditions don’t have to hold you back from extraordinary goals.

Learn about Rachel and follow her journey here.

Find out more about Breakthrough T1D.