Tag Archives: Champion Athletes With Diabetes

Champion Athlete With Diabetes: Zoe from New Zealand.

January 6, 2015 – 8:53 am

Working hard through adversity and achieving your athletic goals in addition to living with diabetes is a difficult and extraordinary thing. Today’s Champion Athlete With Diabetes is a prime example of that.
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Our medal winner this time also gets the award (for now, anyway) of living the farthest away from me. Zoe Sole lives in Wellington, New Zealand, and her friend Carrie Hetherington sent me the nicest note:
 
 
Hi Stephen,

Despite having diabetes myself and working out, I would actually like to nominate one of my friends, Zoe Sole.

Zoe is 23 and has had type 1 diabetes for 14 years, and she is one of the most inspirational and motivated people I know. She had to face 12 months of physical rehab training and also diabetes complications out of her control over the period of this year, but in true form she has completely turned everything around and aced everything, building back her muscle capacity. She still does some rehab work and it will take a while to completely get back to normal, but she is back to doing her extreme Crossfit and extra training on top of that. She works out every single day and lifts colossal weights, does gymnastics, swimming, half marathons etc

This is all on top of studying towards her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery here in New Zealand.

Basically, her athleticism and sheer determination with a positive attitude are beyond belief, she also manages to fit time in for her friends and others with diabetes.

I don’t think anyone could ask for more in a Champion Athlete with Diabetes. I would love to see her rewarded for the hard 24/7 work she puts into her training, and the impeccable blood sugars she has (she aims for perfection and she absolutely gets it!).

Kind regards,

Carrie Hetherington
 
 
I don’t think I can elaborate on that any better. Living with diabetes is no fun. But working hard, persevering through the times when your body wants to quit, making your fitness the best it can be right now—that is special.

So I salute you Zoe! You are an inspirational example of what this effort is all about. And by the way, your friend Carrie is pretty nice to send in this request on your behalf.

Are you living with diabetes? Are you staying active? Would you like a medal?

I encourage you to click here, find out more, and send me an e-mail today.
 
 
 

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

Champion Athlete With Diabetes: Seth the Lifeguard.

January 5, 2015 – 9:41 am

I have no less than six Champion Athletes With Diabetes to talk about. So I thought, why not tell their stories over an entire week? Okay, I can’t promise that I’ll get all of these in during this week, but I will tell them one by one. Mostly by giving you what was written by friends and relatives.

First up: Seth the Lifeguard.

CAWDSeth
Seth lives just outside of Dallas, Texas. His Mom, Cassie, writes at the blog KDA not DKA. Seth was diagnosed with diabetes at age 16 two years ago. He’s been a lifeguard since before his diagnosis, and last year he participated in lifeguard competitiion, but his team didn’t place in the event.

But that was last year. This year, Seth’s team won their regional competition, and that meant a trip to the state championship! At state they placed 9th overall. Not bad for a team that had never competed at that level before. According to Cassie,

“During both competitions, blood sugar management was difficult but Seth handled it like a true champ. During the state competition, his blood sugar spiked pretty high for him, then crashed after it was over. Adrenaline was a huge factor, I’m sure. He is planning to return to the state competition next year and win!”

Cassie has a more detailed description of this exciting event on her blog.

Did I mention that Seth’s Dad is also living with diabetes? One of his team members also has a father with Type 1. So it’s a family victory, and well earned.

Seth is on the far left.

Seth’s team (Seth is on the far left)

Congratulations Seth! Thanks for never giving up, and for proving again how someone living with diabetes can really do anything.
 
 
So… I’m in the process of ordering more medals. That means I’ll be ready to send your medal when you write me. If you, or the special person in your life has been reaching their athletic goals while living with diabetes too, you should click here to find out more, and send me an e-mail today.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged , | Comments (3)

A Thanksgiving diagnosis, and the Champion Athlete it produced.

November 21, 2014 – 9:21 am

It’s been a long time since we’ve told the story of one of our Champion Athletes With Diabetes. Let’s do something about that.

Cole is seventeen years old. He lives with his family outside of St. Paul, Minnesota, where he’s been a soccer nut since he was three days old, cheering on his sister in a big game. This is his senior year of high school, and he’s on the roster of one of the top teams in the state.

He’s a tough kid. Played through a thyroid problem a year ago, and two years ago suffered a broken tibia and fibula, which required two surgeries and extended time in a wheelchair. A year prior to that, Cole suffered a severe concussion, and in 2010 he was diagnosed with Grave’s disease.

Champion-Athletes-With-Diabetes-Medal

But the toughest blow came just before Thanksgiving five years ago. I’ll let his Mom, Kris, take it from here. This is from the e-mail she sent me:

“On that day he was anxious to go work out with his team. He had been working so hard he was losing weight ALOT of weight (that he didn’t have to lose), and those workouts had him needing to stay hydrated…or so he thought. I had called the doctor to make an appt. for after the holiday, but they insisted I bring Cole in immediately. Once there they efficiently ran a blood test before we even got in to see the doctor. While he was begging me to get him to practice on time, I heard the doctor outside the door telling the nurse to call Children’s hospital to let them know she was sending a new diabetic in immediately…. Our Type 1 journey had begun.

Thanksgiving morning Cole’s body was dealing with a drop from over 800 to 40 in a few hours. He was barely responsive and we of course were quite concerned. His father and I sat in the hospital family room eating leftover turkey wondering what was in store. Very late that night he started to be a bit more alert and he started mentally processing his diagnosis…the fears, the questions, the tears poured out.

The next morning he woke up early-, pale , so very thin and still sporting an IV, but with a very determined question for his nurse. “What do I have to do to get out of here? I have a game tonight? They explained that he had to learn how to keep himself safe, with meetings with the dietician, pharmacy, family counselor and diabetes educator, a process that takes two days. He told them he needed to eat and take a shower but that he would learn it all and they needed to release him in time to get to his game.

I’ve don’t think I’ve ever been so proud AND so scared as watching him play that game just hours after he got released. He did his first test on his own prior to that game on the side of the field. Afterward when we talked about the game he said he thought he did ok considering he saw three balls, but he figured he would just aim for the center one.

There have been many games since, with highs and lows and wins and losses. He has learned to read his body and adjust for his activity and all the effects of the other medical challenges and the way they have complicated his numbers. He has learned to advocate for himself with coaches, refs and others. He has stayed positive and focused on his training And he has achieved his goal of having others see him as a strong athlete and valuable member of the team. My hope is that this his senior year his team finishes strong and maybe goes to state….but regardless of their standing at the end of the season, I think Cole deserves an award for being an athlete with diabetes.”

How’s that for inspiring? Who can’t get excited about that kind of determination? Cole’s team finished with 13 wins and just one loss on the season, which included a win against the 2nd ranked team in the state. In his first-ever season as a defender, Cole made all-conference honorable mention. Take that, diabetes!
 
 
So… what about you? How great would it be for you to say you earned the same medal as Cole? I encourage you to nominate yourself or the special Athlete With Diabetes in your life today.

Four simple things will mint your medal, and only the first three count:

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.

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.

If it’s a big deal to you, it’s definitely a big deal to me too. I want to support you, or support the Athlete With Diabetes in your life. Send an e-mail for your award today.
 
 
 

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

One year later.

November 3, 2014 – 9:24 am

Champion-Athletes-With-Diabetes-Medal

One year ago, I used the beginning of Diabetes Awareness Month to springboard the start of our Champion Athletes With Diabetes initiative. Yes, it’s my blog, but I think of this as our initiative, in the sense that a) I had this idea, and b) The Great Spousal Unit has enthusiatically supported it, and c) Countless people and places on the internet have been very supportive too. We’re all to blame, and we’re all to be congratulated (but you guys, more than me… really).

As I’ve mentioned before, I got the idea for this whole thing after I saw a video from Kerri Sparling. I started to look at what it would actually cost to have medals made, make certificates (even The Tin Man received a testimonial!), and send a personal note to each athlete who would write for a medal. The cost seemed reasonable, and in retrospect, the monetary cost plus the cost in time and effort has been miniscule compared to the warmth and kindness I’ve received from our Champion Athletes With Diabetes. And it’s even more miniscule compared to the happiness and pride I’ve felt for my fellow brothers and sisters with broken pancreases each time they achieve athletic goals that seemed nearly impossible when they began.

To date, we’ve delivered fifteen medals to Champion Athletes With Diabetes.

We’ve sent medals to 40 and 50-plus year veterans of living with diabetes. We sent one to a race car driver. We sent one to Scott Johnson and Mike Hoskins. We sent a medal to Mary Beth Wyss, a T1D with two adult children… and we sent one to Kelley Kent, a T1D who will become a Mom for the first time any day now (that’s worthy of its own medal, both before and after the baby is grown). Sprinkled in there are medals for kids and serious runners (hello Cecilia and Corey). And I can’t forget about the amazing Merle Gleeson and the inspirational Bob Parant.

If there’s one thing I hear more than anything else when I talk to people about earning a medal, it’s the notion that they are not a good enough athlete, or they haven’t done enough to earn a medal (yet). This medal is not about achieving a certain level of greatness. It’s about what goes into getting there: The hours of training, the high and (mostly) low blood sugars, the frustrations, and more than anything, the perseverance that is an important and necessary part of any athlete’s equipment.

I’ve been inspired and humbled by what these special athletes have achieved, even before they ever ran a race, or biked in a charity event, or signed up to play volleyball or soccer. I am so grateful you’ve let me share your remarkable stories.

Among the fifteen medals we’ve given away, there are two stories still waiting to be told. So look for more athletes before the end of this month. In the meantime…
 
 
If you are living with diabetes, and you’re active; or if someone close to you is living with D and is active, we would love to send a medal recognizing the athlete’s achievement.

There are only four simple things to do to get yours:

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.

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. It takes a tremendous amount of planning, effort, and bravery to compete, or maintain an exercise routine. Heck, sometimes, it’s everything we can do just to walk around the block. Getting out of your comfort zone and taking that brave step is something that should be recognized and rewarded.

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. Send an e-mail for your award today.
 
 
Happy Anniversary Athletes!
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged , | Comments (4)

Another Champion Athlete with Diabetes: Congratulations Janie!

September 24, 2014 – 9:09 am

Today I bring you another inspiring example of People With Diabetes getting out and reaching their athletic goals:

Our Champion Athlete, Janie Moore, is in pink, second from the right

Our Champion Athlete, Janie Moore, is in pink, second from the right

Janie Moore celebrated 40 years with Type 1 Diabetes this past July. Back in April, she started training for a 4 mile marathon in Columbus, Ohio. Like many of us, she was worried about engaging in a prolonged exercise routine, fearing that something bad might happen. Then a friend challenged her with two questions: Why not? and What’s the worst thing that could happen to you?

In Janie’s words:

“After thinking about my answers to those two questions I let down my guard and started training. Wow! If I’d only known then what I know now! That by getting up and moving my body feels better, my insulin works better and emotionally I am so much stronger!”

Guess what? This past weekend, Janie completed the Ohio State 4 miler marathon! I’m going to let Janie tell the story about her day:

“Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014 started early for me. I woke up early so I could eat a healthy breakfast before the 1 1/2 hr. drive to Columbus, Ohio to participate in the Ohio State 4 miler marathon. After working hard for the last 4 months doing walking training, needing to rethink my meal plans, and adjusting my insulin pump settings, only to figure out I was stable/healthy enough to not even wear my pump during exercising I felt like I had already run the race. But, on June 1, 2014 I had set a goal to slowly train and gain 1 mile per month until I was able to finish a 4 mile marathon at the end of September. This may seem like a short distance to some but for me, a person who HATES to exercise, it felt like like I was climbing a mountain!

As I slowly added miles on my elliptical I often felt discouraged. My husband, sons and friends kept encouraging me to continue which was a big help. I’ve often struggled with keeping to myself,not letting others know how I’m feeling. Something else I learned during this experience was to open up and admit my struggles to others. They can’t read our minds but if we tell them we’re having trouble they are there to help and encourage us and it does make a big difference.
Editor’s note: I couldn’t have said it better myself. So great to have cheerleaders!

Back to race day! We arrived early so that I had plenty of time to check my blood sugar, strap on my handy supply waist belt and make any adjustments needed before the start. I met up with several friends then waited…and waited. There were 12,000 people signed up to race. I was classified a walker so of course I was at the back of the line. I finally reached the starting gate 25 minutes after the start whistle. The wind was blowing and it was overcast. A perfect day for a race, all my racing friends kept telling me. During training I had learned that mile 2 was where I needed to recheck my blood sugar to make sure everything was going smoothly. My blood sugar was 108 so I knew I needed a few carbs to keep me up enough to finish without a low. After digging into my trusty supply belt I found a granola bar to eat. On I went eating and walking. I had strategically asked my family to meet me around the 2 1/2- 3 mile mark just in case my 2 mile blood sugar check was running low. Since I was only at 108 I decided to grab a regular 7Up from them and take a couple of swigs before going any further. Mistake! Carbonated pop is not a good choice when you are doing a marathon, trust me. So, I threw the pop in the first trash can I found and pulled out a bottle of instant carb booster from my supply bag. I had put them in there during training but felt I should only use them during an emergency. Well, I thought, a couple of swigs would only help. Mind you, I’m doing all thinking and adjusting as I’m continuing to walk because my pace was going good and I now wanted to best my training time. I finally made it back to the stadium. As I made my way to the famous tunnel I started to get goosebumps. They only allow certain people to go through that tunnel and onto the Ohio State football field and today, I was one of them! I walked down the shaded tunnel onto the sunlit field with tears in my eyes. I had almost reached my goal of finishing on the 50 yard line. I had walked the whole race but according to my sports fanatic son, I was not allowed to step foot into the stadium without running. So, even though my legs were cramping and felt like rubber I started to jog up the sideline of the field. Ok, I must confess, I only made it half way before I had to return to walking but once I turned the corner and started walking up to the 1 yard line I jogged my way to the 50 to finish my very first marathon. Fourteen minutes faster than my training times!

Janie is in pink right there at the finish line. Yay!

Janie is in pink right there at the finish line. Yay!

After the race I made my way back out of the stadium to collect my medal, find some water, eat a banana and check my blood sugar again. It was 128 by the way. Exercising is a great way to keep your blood sugars down! I met up with my family and friends and we celebrated. I gave my sister, who has overcome many obstacles herself, the honor of presenting me with my Champion Athlete with Diabetes medal. It was a great ending to a great day.

Janie is second from the right, wearing both her medal for finishing the race and her Champion Athletes With Diabetes medal!

Janie is second from the right, wearing both her medal for finishing the race and her Champion Athletes With Diabetes medal!

I’m so proud of myself for the accomplishments I’ve made over the last 4 months. All the days I forced myself to get out of my chair and onto the elliptical or walk on the track were worth it! I still hate to workout but I have learned that my body needs me to exercise in order for it to work its best. And best of all, I feel like I’m in control of my Diabetes instead of it controlling me!”

Congratulations Janie. I’m so glad you made it through your training and reached that goal that meant so much to you. I hope this is just the beginning of a lifetime of exciting athletic endeavors.
 
 
C’mon now… It’s your turn to join the club. We’ve handed out something around 15 medals to athletes like Janie in the past ten months. We’ve got two more medals that we’ve sent out to athletes I haven’t even told you about yet. And we’ve got plenty more left. I’ve said it before: Be an inspiration. Not just for yourself or your loved ones. Do it for the people you haven’t met yet, who will identify with you and be inspired too. Because they will.

To find out more and start the process of minting your medal as a Champion Athlete With Diabetes, click here or on the medal photo in the top left corner of this page.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged , , | Comments (3)