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Eighteen months ago, Catherine O'Donovan could only watch as her youngest daughter received a diagnosis that would change her life.

Next Saturday, she and husband Justin Mullan will celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary by attempting to ride for a cure to six-year-old daughter Gillian's type 1 diabetes.

The two will tackle the Test of Metal in Squamish, B.C. The gruelling 67-km race features more than 1,200 metres of elevation.

"We decided to do this back in November and we started training as soon as the snow melted,鈥� said O'Donovan.

O'Donovan and Mullan joined Team Diabetes this year, adding their names to those attempting to find a cure to the disease.

"We're trying to turn it into a positive and do things that will show her that we can get positive things out of this,鈥濃�圤'Donovan explained.

The family participated in the local Walk to Cure Diabetes in May, raising nearly $3,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

"This cause is very close to our hearts. They're trying to fund-raise for a cure, and they've already made huge steps.

All of this fund-raising is going to that.

"We have a big investment in trying to forward the medicine and make (Gillian's) life easier, and our lives easier.鈥�

Gillian is a student at Holy Family Elementary School and is expected to be insulin-dependent for life.

"She's a little trooper and we're pretty inspired by her.鈥�

Members of the community can chip in to the cause by donating online at http://www.diabetes.ca/how-you-can-help/team-diabetes/.

Pledges can be donated by entering either O'Donovan or Mullan's name into the search engine located in the website's toolbar.