Former Southlander Steve Alexander found out he had type 2 diabetes just over a year ago.

He never dreamed his dramatic lifestyle changes would see him lining up in Te Anau this weekend to start his first Kepler Challenge mountain run.

With diabetes not even on his radar, but feeling “a bit crook,” Mr Alexander went along to his doctor for his annual checkup.

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Shortly after, his doctor gave him the diagnosis. He had type 2 diabetes and concerningly high blood pressure.

In his early forties and relatively fit, Mr Alexander was stunned.  

“Really? Are you sure you’ve got the right Steve?” he asked his doctor.

But the result was accurate and his level of 69 was considered extreme.

Alarmed, Mr Alexander asked what he could do to fix it. 

His doctor advised three things - "stop sugar, stop drinking and run".

So, that’s what Mr Alexander did.

Steve Alexander took up long distance running to manage his diabetes. PHOTO: Supplied

“By the time I got back to my car I thought right, I’ll do those three things,” he said.

He stopped eating sugar that very day, started running that very afternoon, and has not touched a drink since Cup Day in Christchurch back in November 2019.

“I never thought I’d be the guy to stop drinking. I was born and raised down south….and you sort of work all day and have a drink at night… but it’s been transformational.”

Mr Alexander said he loved craft beer and single malt whisky but since giving it up, it doesn’t even cross his mind to have a drink now.

He slowly built up his endurance from being able to run just 1.5km without being puffed to training for ultra-marathons. 

Then, 16 weeks after the diagnosis and committing to a healthy diet and regular running, the spectacular happened. 

Mr Alexander had reversed his diabetes. 

Since then his health, fitness and positive mentality has gone from strength to strength. 

In October this year, he completed his first ultramarathon, the Crater Rim Ultra, running 53km in 7 hours 40 mins.

Now, he’s gearing up for the Kepler Challenge this weekend, a 60km mountain run along the Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park. 

“I never would have dreamt a year or two years ago that I’d be lining up to do my second ultra-marathon,” he said.

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Diabetes cannot be cured but it can be managed. 

Mr Alexander said the diagnosis has turned out to be a real blessing in his life.

“Some people look at me sideways that when I tell people that one of the best things to happen to me was to get diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, [but] I mean that and I’ve never been fitter [or] sharper…. there’s nothing bad about it.”

“There are thousands of people who leave the doctors everyday with [a diagnosis] that they’re told they can’t do anything about.”

While the diagnosis came as a bit of a shock initially, he knew he had the opportunity to fix it if he put his mind to it.

“How lucky is that?” he said. 

Having now lost 19 kilograms, Mr Alexander said running has been instrumental in reversing his diabetes.

“I was never big, but the [weight] has just fallen off.”

“I’ve done no crazy diets or fads, was never weighing myself regularly, it just all naturally happened.”

He hopes his story will inspire others diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to realise they have options and can live a healthy and happy life if they commit to some positive lifestyle changes. 

“If it helps one person, cool,” he said.

Steve Alexander will be running the Kepler with prostate cancer survivor Arron Perriam. PHOTO: Supplied

Mr Alexander will be running the challenge alongside his good friend Arron Perriam who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the same time Mr Alexander received

his diagnosis. 

“We both thought we better get sorted… we’ve done every training run together.”

“And he’s completely cancer free now.”

Mr Alexander is also a huge supporter of mental health awareness, which is why all his running gear is branded up with free to call – 1737 counselling service.

The Ministry of Health estimates that more than 200,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes each year, with most diagnoses being type 2 diabetes.

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The Kepler challenge takes place this Saturday December 5 in Te Anau.

Now in its 33rd year, the Kepler Challenge has grown to become New Zealand's iconic mountain run. 

Race Director Steve Norris said places for the Kepler Challenge sold out in record this time year – with runners snapping up the spots in just two minutes six seconds. 

Places for the Luxmore Grunt – a 27km run up to the Luxmore Hut - sold out in three minutes 43 seconds. 

Mr Norris said the weekend creates an exciting buzz in the town and he loves hearing all the inspiring stories from participants. 

Fiordland local Alan Reid has participated in every Kepler Challenge since its inception and if he completes the run this year, he will have completed the challenge 30 times.