Tag Archives: Champion Athletes With Diabetes

Another June… Another 5k

June 11, 2019 – 10:11 am

I’m all about meeting goals, especially if they’re my own. And this past weekend, I was able to meet one of my yearly goals in a unique and fun way.

If you check out my blogroll on this page, you’ll see a link to Phyllisa’s blog, Diagnosed Not Defeated. On Saturday, Phyllisa celebrated her 40th birthday.

As part of her celebration, she arranged the Fit & Fabulous Virtual 5k… a chance for 40 people all over the world to complete their own 5k (5,000 kilometers) wherever they were.

For the last several years, I’ve usually participated in my local 5K, held about five minutes from where I live. This year, the local 5k is on Father’s Day, and I’ll be out of town. So when Phyllisa announced her virtual 5k to be held a week earlier, I jumped at the chance.

This gave me an opportunity to meet a goal I’ve had for a while now: to complete a 5k every year through age 60. I’m 57 now, and completing this event means I’m still on track to meet that goal, with only three more years to go.

Here’s a photo with me wearing the stylish race bib. And also a couple of short videos… one from just before the run, and one from about 15 minutes after.

As I mention in the last video, it was probably the slowest 5k I’ve run in my entire life. But it was still great fun.

Thanks to Phyllisa for organizing this event. You should definitely read her blog too. This was a terrific happening, and a nice way to get my weekend started. Fit & Fabulous 5k… Done!

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

World Diabetes Day 2018.

November 14, 2018 – 10:11 am

Welcome to another World Diabetes Day. 2018 marks the five year anniversary of the beginning of our Champion Athletes With Diabetes program. It’s been a remarkably rewarding experience sending medals to people from all walks of life, all over the world. It’s been the one, consistent thing I’ve done that makes me feel great every time I do it. It never gets old.

So, with this anniversary, I thought I would share a few photos of our athletes, and remind you that your medal is waiting. Find out how to get yours below.













To get your Champion Athlete With Diabetes medal, 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.

If it’s a big deal to you, it’s a big deal to me too. Send an e-mail for your award today.

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes, World Diabetes Day | Also tagged , | Comments (2)

Diabetes Awareness Month. There, I said it.

November 1, 2018 – 4:27 pm

Welcome to November 1, the beginning of another Diabetes Awareness Month, culminating (oddly enough, in the middle of the month) on World Diabetes Day November 14.

I get the “I’m tired, I raise awareness all year long, every day is Diabetes Day to me”, etc. comments. People wouldn’t be saying those things if they weren’t true. But instead on focusing on all that, I thought I might take a moment and talk about a few of the nice things happening this month too.
 
 
To begin with, November marks the five year anniversary for our Champion Athletes With Diabetes program. Scores of medals awarded over the years, to athletes in multiple states, and in multiple countries on four continents.

I’m so proud of our medal winners, and I’m extremely eager to send more medals in recognition of sought-after athletic goals, large and small. CLICK HERE to find out how to get yours.
 
 
November is always a great time for #DSMA Twitter chats, and on that front, I have bad news and good news.

The bad news: No all-day #DSMA chat on World Diabetes Day. I know, bummer… but none of us has the time right now to coordinate moderators, topics, and scheduling in order to get it done. Sorry about that. Hopefully, it will be back next year.

The good news: World Diabetes Day is on a Wednesday, so we’ll be chatting for an hour anyway. In addition, I hope you’ll join me as I moderate the #DSMA chat on November 7 and November 28. Join your friends and make some new ones, Wednesday nights at 9 PM eastern time here in the USA, or whatever time that is in your counrty. Follow the @DiabetesSocMed Twitter account and the #DSMA hashtag to participate.
 
 
Finally… if you check my blogroll on this page you’ll see I’ve added a new link, to MakeDiabetesVisible.com. Created by Mike Durbin, it’s a place designed to curate things associated with the #MakeDiabetesVisible hashtag. Here’s the challenge, from Mike himself:

“I invite all of my friends living with any type of diabetes to join me in this challenge. 30 days, 30 photos, ALL types of diabetes. Any social media platform. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, whatever.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how much we could all say about life with diabetes in 30 days.

Please share, use the hashtag, and let’s #MakeDiabetesVisible”

Are you in? I am! Let’s #MakeDiabetesVisible in November!
 
 
So… what are you following, participating in, or initiating this month? Please share here!

By StephenS | Posted in World Diabetes Day | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Let’s award even more Champion Athletes With Diabetes.

May 10, 2018 – 12:18 pm

What does your medal look like?

Does it look like this?

Hey, we all need a goal. Why not a medal that recognizes your hard work and determination in the face of a never-ending chronic condition?

I have such a medal, and I would love to send it to you or a loved one living with diabetes. If it means that 5k run is completed, if tournaments or meets are finished, if someone checks in to their fitness class on a regular basis, it’s worthy of this medal and my congratulations.

Want to get a medal just like this one? The steps are simple:

Send an e-mail to champswithdiabetes@gmail.com. Let me know what you or your special athlete is taking part in, or took part in. Tell me about the resilience it takes to live with diabetes and pursue athletic goals. Give me your address. And I’ll send you a medal!

To date, over 80 Champion Athlete With Diabetes medals have been awarded to people on five continents. Trust me, it’s a cool medal. Our ranks have been growing every year, and I’d like to add you or your loved one to the roster.

Send me your e-mail today, and let me say congratulations for a medal well earned!

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged | Comments (1)

Join the Champion Athletes With Diabetes this Year!

March 14, 2018 – 10:11 am

So here we are, already into the second week of March. Maybe the weather is warming up a bit where you are. Maybe the weather is starting to cool off a bit where you are.

Regardless, you may be training to compete in a local 5k… or thinking about doing a walk to help raise money for your favorite diabetes charity… or maybe you’re going all out and preparing for a marathon, or a 100 mile bike ride. Maybe you’re a swimmer competing in end-of-season meets, or you’re a basketball player looking forward to tournament time.

Or maybe you know someone who is doing one or more of the above.

If so, don’t forget that I have a fabulous medal waiting for anyone living with diabetes and achieving their athletic goals.

I’ve had my athletic pursuits through the years: baseball (and later, softball), basketball, water polo and swimming, and in more recent years, running, cycling, and triathlon. I know how hard it is to start and continue a training plan designed to squeeze out every last ounce of effort. I know what it’s like to try and manage your diabetes once it wakes up to that new level of effort.

I also know how good it feels to be rewarded for a goal well earned.

So come on! Let me know what you or your loved one has been doing to stay active while managing diabetes. Send an e-mail to champswithdiabetes@gmail.com. Let me know what you’re taking part in, or took part in. Give me your address. And I’ll send you a medal!

As of this writing, I’ve sent over 80 Champion Athlete With Diabetes medals to people ranging from age 9 to age I don’t know, but older than me. Recipients have come from dozens of states, around twenty countries, on five continents.

I’d like to send the next medal to you. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me too. Contact me today, and as they say in the USA:
Play Like a Champion.

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged | Comments (1)