Tag Archives: Champion Athletes With Diabetes

How’s the training going?

July 14, 2014 – 9:31 am

I was so thrilled to read that Scott Johnson completed a half marathon recently. I don’t think I could ever handle a half marathon, so I have a special level of admiration for Scott’s achievement.

As he writes in his post on the subject, the half marathon goal came about during a conversation between Scott, Cherise Shockley, and myself on DSMA Live last November. In that conversation, each of us listed a few athletic goals for 2014. I think Scott may have completed all of his by now.

What did I promise to do this year?
 
 
As I recall, I set three athletic goals:

1. Complete an ADA Tour de Cure ride

2. Complete a 5K run (3.2 miles)

3. Compete in a sprint triathlon (sprint triathlons are typically about 1/4 to 1/2 mile swim, about 15 miles on the bike, and then a 5K run)
 
 
So… what kind of progress am I making on these goals?

I completed the Chesapeake Bay Tour de Cure in May, so there’s that. And I completed my local neighborhood 5K run yesterday. Just like last year, the Live-In Niece and I ran it together. In case you’re wondering, a half marathon is more than four times the distance of a 5K. Anyway, I am now about two thirds of the way there.

Now the triathlon… that’s the really tough nut to crack. I had planned (and trained) to do a sprint tri on Father’s Day, but my recent participation in a clinical trial scuttled that idea. The study dates fell right at the time I needed to train the hardest.

So now I’m desperately searching for a simple, relatively flat, local triathlon to compete in before year’s end. If I don’t find an event, I may have to do a “triathlon of one”, where I do my best in each event all on my own on a predetermined date. It’s not the same as actually participating in competition, but I think it would suffice in the absence of a viable alternative.

As I work my way toward whatever triathlon I can do, I’ll keep you up to date. In the meantime…

Are you working toward an important athletic goal? Have you met that milestone already? Is someone you know living with diabetes and turning in a heroic athletic effort?

If so, I urge you to write for your Champion Athlete With Diabetes medal. To find out how to get yours, click here or click on the photo of the medals on the upper left corner of this page.

Your special effort should be recognized and rewarded. Just like with me and Rachel yesterday, I want you to see the finish line, and cross over. I know you can do it!

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Be safe, and train hard.
 
 
 

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

Another #ChampDAthletes medal winner! Meet Cecelia.

May 29, 2014 – 9:33 am

Yay!!! More medal winners!

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Our eleventh Champion Athlete With Dibetes is Cecelia Lodge. Cecelia is also a diabetes writer, and you can read her story at the blog Tutoo Sweet. In addition to being the writer of one of my favorite blogs, Cecelia is a runner.

She ran during her middle school years on the cross country team, and continued to run through high school. More recently, she started running again prior to getting married a couple of years ago.

Now stop me if you’ve heard this before, but…

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Back in 2013, she was training for another run when she started showing all the classic signs of diabetes. She received her diagnosis, spent a couple of nights in the local hospital, and then:

She finished her first half marathon one month later.

That’s pretty inspirational folks. And I really loved the e-mail Cecelia sent me. I’m going to run it in its entirety here, in the hope that it will inspire you too.

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Hi!

I came across your blog post today about the athletic achievement medals you are awarding to those with diabetes. I read a previous post of yours a few weeks ago regarding this, but I was hesitant to nominate myself because, well, it felt awkward 🙂

I guess it seemed self-serving to offer up myself as a nominee, but once I thought about it a little more, knowing maybe just one person who finds my story through this could be encouraged changed my mind. It’s definitely not about the medal. It’s about showing others who live with diabetes that might be discouraged or scared or worried to follow their dreams, no matter how big or small, and that they can and will accomplish them… and come out on the other side stronger than ever.

Anyway, with that said, I am pretty proud of my achievement. I completed my very first half marathon in November 2013- a month after I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

If you are interested in reading the story, I’ve blogged about it here:
http://tutoosweet.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-first-half-marathon-part-1.html
http://tutoosweet.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-first-half-marathon-part-2.html

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Way to go Cecelia! You are a brave and inspirational person, and completely worthy of the title Champion Athlete With Diabetes.

So my advice is: 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)

Our latest #ChampDAthletes medal winner drives really, really fast.

May 21, 2014 – 6:52 am

Reed

Our latest Champion Athlete With Diabetes medal winner is NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Ryan Reed!

Ryan drives the number 16 Roush Fenway Racing Drive to Stop Diabetes℠ Ford Mustang presented by Lilly Diabetes (how’s that for getting all the sponsors in?). This is his second year on the Nationwide circuit, and his first full year driving every week.

I was able to chat for a few minutes with Ryan over the phone last week as he prepared for his first start at Iowa Speedway (he finished 16th).

First, ‘cause I’m a guy, I asked him about racing stuff: How things were going with Roush Fenway Racing in his first full year. I congratulated him on being ranked 10th on one of the most competitive racing series in the world (he moved down to 12th after Iowa, but that still means there are about 38 drivers behind him in the standings). He mentioned how things were going well, about as well as could be expected, and how it’s great being associated with such a professional organization. He’s just trying to learn all he can so they can continue to improve. What were the goals this year? Just want to continue to do well and make everyone happy. Sounds like my life, only 150 mph faster.

Then we talked a little about diabetes. Diagnosed three years ago at age 17, what was the initial feeling like after diagnosis, and how did it then feel once he got to a point where he knew he could still do anything he wanted to (except make insulin)? Well, the diagnosis was about the toughest time of his life. Since then, it’s been about learning as much as he could so he could confidently go behind the wheel again. He learned a lot at USC’s Clinical Diabetes Program under the direction of Dr. Anne Peters. They’ve also worked with Type 1 Indy Car driver Charlie Kimball. And that, along with the support of family, was just what he needed to get his confidence back. I would also add that getting the support of one of the most successful race teams in the country means others have confidence in him too.

So… what does race day look like for a driver with diabetes? It begins by making sure his Dexcom is working properly. The receiver is mounted to the dash in his race car so he can always see how his BG is trending. He has a special way to stay hydrated while he’s driving, with a dual unit that allows him to either drink water or a high glucose drink, depending on whether he’s trending higher or lower. If necessary, there’s a dedicated member of Ryan’s pit crew that has been trained and is ready to deliver an insulin injection.

I should also mention that Ryan is founder of his own non-profit, called Ryan’s Mission, that works to build awareness of diabetes and support those living with and affected by diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, “The Drive to Stop Diabetes℠ campaign, through Ryan’s Mission 501(c)3, will donate 100 percent of all net-proceeds to the Association.”

Yet another example of inspirational achievements from an athlete living with diabetes. Ryan Reed, we salute you!
 
 
So… what about you? How great would it be for you to say you earned the same medal that Ryan Reed received? 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 (4)

#DBlogWeek is back! What fires you up?

May 12, 2014 – 10:31 am

DBlogWeek

Yay! Diabetes Blog Week is back!

For the 5th year in a row, diabetes writers from all over the world will be participating in a solid week’s worth of informative, educational, and inspirational blog posts. To find out everything you need to know about Diabetes Blog Week, click on the banner above. A big Thank You to Karen Graffeo for making this happen every year!

Today’s topic:

Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you. (Thanks go out to Kim of Texting my Pancreas for inspiring this topic.)

Changing the world, eh? No pressure there.

I don’t know if what I’m passionate about right now is changing the world. But I do know of two things that I hope will be of use to others in the future.

You can find out the first by clicking on the button with the medals in the upper right portion of this page. Since November, we’ve sent out 11 medals to Athletes With Diabetes who do their best to fight through the scary things that come with taking along your diabetes to gym classes, bike rides, or half marathons. Our eleven winners (that’s right… we’re up to 11!) have all set an example of courage and determination that others will always look up to. So I didn’t really do much there except shine a light on something great that was already happening.

But I get such a huge kick out of shining that light, and introducing everyone to amazing people that maybe they haven’t met before. And a few that they probably have. In any case, it’s exciting to give someone a medal like that. I remember finishing my first triathlon three years ago, and the feeling I got when I crossed the finish line and received my medal. I wanted brave D-Athletes to feel the same thing.

The second thing I’m really fired up about right now is happening… right now.

Last week, I started participation in another clinical trial. This will make three in the past year, and it’s something I take very seriously. This study will be my first artificial pancreas trial. I’ll talk about it more as the study progresses. But I want to help you understand why participating in clinical trials is so very important.

All of us want to see new ideas tried out. New therapies, new drugs, new understandings of how our bodies-with-failed-pancreases work. Often, the only way we’re going to get those ideas tried out is during clinical trials. And clinical trials need volunteers. So here I am.

Participating in a clinical trial isn’t necessarily easy. The ones I’ve taken part in aren’t hard, either. What they do require is a lot of attention to detail. If you’re supposed to do something at a certain time in a certain way during the trial, you have to do that. Otherwise, you risk not meeting the parameters of what is being studied. Researchers might not get the proper data they need to move forward with their idea.

But trust me: The feeling of participating in a clinical trial is awesome. To know I’ve helped move the needle, even a little bit, for people living with diabetes is something that will stay with me forever. I’ll bet you’d feel the same way.

To look for clinical trials involving diabetes, you can always go to clinicaltrials.gov and put Diabetes in the search box. If you’re in the UK, go to the UKCTG—the UK Clinical Trials Gateway. Also, JDRF sponsors its Clinical Trial Connection, that helps connect potential participants with diabetes clinical trials.

And don’t miss day two of #DBlogWeek coming up tomorrow!
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes Blog Week | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (8)

With a little help from our friends.

May 8, 2014 – 10:25 am

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How did I get into this? Why did I get into this?

Because I’m a sucker for a good idea and D-Athletes, and I want to support my friends.

Many of you know Victoria Cumbow, who, among other things, is a passionate diabetes blogger and a dedicated bike rider. She’s participated in two JDRF rides in the past two years (hope I got that right), including one in Death Valley. And this year, she’s participating in two more: the Lake Tahoe ride, and her hometown ride in Nashville.

May is National Bike Month, and Nashville has jumped on the bandwagon to designate this Nashville Bike Month too. To kick start both her fitness goals and her fundraising efforts, Victoria has decided to complete a challenge of biking all 31 days in May.

She’s taking photos of her rides this month, and using the hashtag #inthesaddle to share her experiences. She also asked a very pointed question: Who’s with me?

I don’t think there’s any freakin’ way I can bike all 31 days this month. In fact, I know I can’t, partly because of restrictions and admission days for my clinical trial. Also because I missed biking on day 1. If you miss the month-long challenge on day 1, you can’t really make it up.

But I did decide to go halfsies: To support Victoria, I’ll be biking at least 16 days in May. So far, I’ve been #inthesaddle four out of eight days this month. Some days will be on my bike, some days will be on one of the spin bikes at the gym. And one day will be at the Chesapeake Bay Tour de Cure, which is less than ten days away. Shameless plug: You can still support my ride by clicking on the donate button to the left. Thank you.

So far, the challenge has been good for me, helping me to focus on what’s really important (people), how much I like riding a bicycle after all these years, and helping me get into better shape for my big ride a week from Saturday.

Look for the #inthesaddle hashtag. And if you’re on your bike during this month, maybe you can take a photo and post it too. If you want to support Victoria’s JDRF rides this year (she’s raising $6,000 for research toward a cure!), click here to support the Tahoe ride, and click here to support the Nashville ride.

And pray that my legs hold out for 12 more days #inthesaddle this month.
 
 
 

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