Category Archives: Athletes With Diabetes

Summer is the time for Champion Athletes With Diabetes.

May 28, 2015 – 9:00 am

Hello Athlete… Competitor… Iron Person… Runner… Biker… Swimmer… Game-Changer… and also, Person With Diabetes.

It has not slipped past me that we are entering the height of activity season in North America and Europe. Many of you are out there working hard every day to get ready for a big event: A 5k run, a long ride, a triathlon, or something else you’ve been wanting to participate in since there was frost on the ground.

Maybe the most inspirational athlete you know is the one close to you who is living with diabetes, and their story is worth celebration and reward.

That’s where this medal comes in:
Champion-Athletes-With-Diabetes-Medal
We’ve given away 27 of these babies to Champion Athletes With Diabetes who reach their athletic goals while dragging along diabetes at the same time. D-Athletes are special, from Ryan Reed, winner of the XFinity series NASCAR race at Daytona this year, to Bob Parant, who made it 65 miles after losing part of his leg, to Janie in Ohio, who completed her first 5k last year after more than 40 years with Type 1.

And trust me when I say, all of our Champion Athletes With Diabetes have stories that are just as inspirational.

Are you next? Is your loved one or family member next? Don’t forget about us when you or that special one reaches the finish line. There are four things that will get you the medal:
 
 
1. The athlete receiving the award must be living with diabetes.

2. The athletic event must have taken place in the last six months. For now, we’re going with a pretty loose interpretation of the word “event”. If you feel you’ve accomplished something important to you, that’s an event. ‘Nuf said. I’m also semi-flexible on the dates. In other words, don’t stress over this part.

3. Send me an e-mail at champswithdiabetes@gmail.com. Tell me your name, name of the athlete (it’s okay if it’s you), and your address (gotta know where to send the medal). Most important, tell me what athletic goal was accomplished, and when. Extra points if you tell me how you felt accomplishing the goal. Full disclosure: I reserve the right to use your testimonial here, on Twitter, and on Facebook. I will not use your name if you don’t want me to. As always, I will never share private information.

4. When you receive your medal, it would be great if you post a photo of it around the athlete’s neck. You can send a Tweet to @ChampsWithD (hashtag: #champdathletes) or post it on the Champion Athletes With Diabetes Facebook Page.

I think D-Athletes are amazing. If it’s a big deal to you, it’s a big deal to me too. I want to support you, or support the Athlete With Diabetes in your life.
Click here to find out more.
 
 
 

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A new Champion Athlete With Diabetes! Betsy Ray.

April 12, 2015 – 10:27 pm

I’m always shocked at how people who are doing amazing things in the diabetes community write me about their athletic achievements, and then wonder if they really have done enough to earn a Champion Athlete With Diabetes medal.
Champion-Athletes-With-Diabetes-Medal

One of those people is Betsy Ray. Betsy is already founder and CEO of a group called Diabetes Activist. Diabetes Activist is all about supporting People With Diabetes, helping them toward a healthier, happier future while living with this chronic condition. They include a number of voices in the continuing dialogue of what works best for People With Diabetes, and they work to improve the outward message of People With Diabetes by educating and helping others toward a great understanding. Want to read her story? Click HERE.

That’s enough for me… but that’s not all.

Betsy is 52 years old, and she’s been living with diabetes for 50 years! She’s also got a daughter who’s been living with Type 1 Diabetes for the last 16 plus years, who is performing athletic wonders too.

Still not enough for you? How about this?

She rode in the Colorado Tour De Cure on August 14, 2014 and before that she did the Triple Bypass. The Triple Bypass is a 125 mile ride in Colorado that crosses three mountains with peaks above 10,000 feet. She turned in an awesome ride in the event, even though she had to get assistance due to snow(!) at the top of one of the passes.

Yet Betsy still felt the need to ask me: Am I eligible for a medal?

Are you kidding me? Eligible doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Oh yeah… Betsy Ray sounds like a Champion Athlete to me. She is exactly the type of athlete that inspires others to keep trying, and keep seeking their athletic dreams. Way to go Betsy!

So… the weather is warming up. Are you thinking about running that race, riding that ride, doing that swim, participating in that competition? I would love to hear about it! As always, I encourage you to click here, find out more, and send me an e-mail today.
 
 
 

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This Champion Athlete With Diabetes is a real life Champion.

March 23, 2015 – 10:17 am

When I started to write up the information on our newest Champion Athlete With Diabetes, I found myself saying, “Is there anything that Alex Carlson can’t do?”.

ACarlson
Alexandra Carlson lives in Minnesota, so it makes sense that her sport is a winter one. In fact, she’s part of the 2015 USA Curling National Champion team. She trains a great deal in able to be in top form for her sport. Curling requires Alex to be strong, agile, and fit.

How do I know she is all of these things? Because I read her blog, Test Travel Train. There, she talks about the things that make her unique (testing, traveling, and training… duh), and how living with Type 1 diabetes for over twenty years is a part of that.

It’s part of her life, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing her down. And that is, um, AWESOME!

You can read all about winning the National Championship HERE.
CurlingChamps
So, to recap: Training to compete at the highest level of her sport, writing a super blog, and managing diabetes for 20+ years. And she has a new pump too!

Congratulations, Alex. You are exactly what inspires people living with diabetes to go out and chase their athletic dreams.
 
 
Want to have your own Champion Athletes With Diabetes medal minted? Send me an e-mail at champswithdiabetes@gmail.com. Tell me your name, name of the athlete (it’s okay if it’s you), and your address (gotta know where to send the medal). Most important, tell me what athletic goal was accomplished, and when. Extra points if you tell me how you felt accomplishing the goal.

Keep it tuned right here, friends. I’ve got two more Champion Athletes to tell you about in the very near future.
 
 
 

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Congratulations Ryan Reed.

February 23, 2015 – 10:22 am

I got to interview NASCAR Xfinity series driver Ryan Reed last year, and to be honest, it wasn’t that great an interview. We were both pressed for time, and though I got my questions answered, it wasn’t a great experience. That’s the way it goes sometimes. He did send me this cool photo:
Reed

Now the good news: Ryan Reed, one of our Champion Athletes With Diabetes medal winners, was the winner of the Florida 300 at Daytona International Speedway Saturday.

Ryan got a little help from teammate and second-place finisher Chris Buescher, went around Brad Keselowski on the final lap, and got his first series win on the biggest stage in his sport.

Afterward, as he climbed out of his car and answered the first question from an interviewer, he had this to say:

“Four years ago I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, thought I would never drive a race car again, and now I’m standing in Victory Lane at Daytona…”

He also managed to say this:

“This is not only for me and my family, but every kid that gets diagnosed with diabetes – or anything that says you can’t do something. Just go out there, overcome it, win it, and do the best you can.”

To me, that’s worth more than my crummy interview.

We all have our chance to advocate for others living with and affected by diabetes. Ryan Reed got that chance before a national audience Saturday night, and he took advantage of it. And I’m grateful.

He’ll be advocating again on Saturday in Atlanta.

Here’s a look at the final two laps, plus the beginning of his interview just after the race:

 
 
 

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Saturday’s Champion Athlete With Diabetes: Will the basketball star.

January 10, 2015 – 3:45 pm

It’s time for one more… one more inspiring, feel-good story this week about an athlete living with diabetes and chasing their athletic dreams.
Champion-Athletes-With-Diabetes-Medal
Today’s athlete, like so many others this week, is a young person, diagnosed as a young person. Will has been living with Type 1 diabetes since he was 5 1/2 years old. Now he’s eight years old and playing on his first basketball team! His Mom, Angie Herbrand of suburban Madison, Wisconsin had this to say back in December:

“He LOVES playing sports, especially basketball. Example – a friend gave him a LeBron James jersey for his birthday last week. He has worn that jersey seven days in a row. Yep, seven. He’s always got a basketball in his hand. Even when he doesn’t have a ball handy, he’ll jog down the hall perfecting his shot with a make-believe basketball.

Yesterday he tried out for his first basketball league, and he rocked it. He is so excited to start playing!”

Will made a long shot during his tryout that none of the other kids were able to make.

And that’s not all… Angie told me later that Will participated in basketball and mountain biking day camps this past summer, and a snowboarding camp in December. Shout Out: Those events were specifically for Type 1 kids, provided by Riding on Insulin and Slam Dunk for Diabetes. Yay diabetes fitness organizations!

Congratulations Will! Pursuing your athletic goals is great for you, and hearing how much fun you’re having makes me even happier to call you a Champion Athlete With Diabetes.
 
 
Don’t forget: If you’re like Will, achieving athletic goals while living with diabetes, or if someone close to you is doing that, click here or on the image of the medals in the upper left of this page, and we’ll get started on your medal today.
 
 
 

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