After years of rejecting his family's love of running, Casey Boren "got talked into" a mini-triathlon and found his passion. He trained for and successfully finished an IRONMAN triathlon at the age of 35 but was almost immediately after diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He talks to Stacey about learning to train with T1D and how he not only finished more IRONMAN races, but competed at the World Championship in Hawaii. Casey and other elite athletes with type 1 started the Diabetes Sports Project last year. It's a way to inspire and share stories in order to help others live active healthy lives with diabetes.
You can vote for Casey this week in the Runner's World Cover Search contest. He is one of 100 semifinalists and needs your vote by 8/21/16. (Vote here)
Stacey also talks to 16-year-old Canadian soccer phenom Michael Thornton. He and his family moved to Spain in 2013 to allow Michael to compete among the best in the world. He talks about learning the language and managing diabetes in a completely new environment. Diagnosed at age six, Michael and his family are back in Canada. Stacey caught up to him at this summer's Friends for Life conference in Florida.
Rodney Miller is a power lifter and strongman competitor who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 4. Rodney’s story is all the more remarkable because he says he was always small for his age and only walked into a gym about 8 years ago. Stacey talks to him about the reasons behind his move to fitness and toward the extreme (like lifting cars!). Rodney also founded Bolus & Barbells, an event for people with diabetes who enjoy lifting and barbell sports. In this episode, you'll hear from many people who took part in Bolus & Barbells and wanted to express their gratitude to Rodney.
Stacey also talks about The Podcast Awards, Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conference and more!
Roddy Riddle says, "Rule diabetes. Don't let it rule you." Diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 40, Roddy was already an international cyclist and didn't see any reason to slow down. He completed the grueling Marathon de Sables ("The Toughest Footrace on Earth") and is competing right now in the 6633 Ultra, a 350 mile race that touches the Arctic Circle. Marina Tsaplina is just as tough, but in a very different way. She wants us to think about diabetes, and about all of health care, as a very human story. We talk to Marina about her organization The Betes, what puppets have to do with diabetes, and about "The Patient Voice" event.
Ryan Reed started racing at age 4, but when he was diagnosed in 2011, he was told those days were over. Instead, Ryan found another doctor and surrounded himself with a "diabetes pit crew" of support. 5 years later, we talk about NASCAR, type 1 management and his Drive to Stop Diabetes partnership with the ADA. Stacey also talks about whether to celebrate "diaversaries" and brings up important information about a Dexcom alarm notification.
Sam Fuld returns for his tenth season of Major League Baseball this year, now with the Oakland A's. He was diagnosed at age 10 and found inspiration in established Major League players who had type 1. Now Fuld holds a yearly sports camp for kids with diabetes where all the coaches have T1D as well. Stacey also talks with Yoga instructor Rachel Zinman, who was misdiagnosed for six years! She says it was a relief to finally find out she had type 1 diabetes.
An IRONMAN Triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order and without a break. Add type 1 diabetes to the mix and you've got a challenge few people ever try. In its first year, the Riding on Insulin Endurance program saw 63 athletes complete IRONMAN Wisconsin and raised $125,000 for the group's camps. Stacey talks to T1D IRONMAN Harry Thompson, as well as Michelle Alswager, the group's development director and an IRONMAN herself. Michelle also shares the story of her son, Jesse. Diagnosed in 2000 at age 3, Jesse died ten year later, when he was just 13. All JDRF Rides for the Cure now mark mile 23 for Jesse, and for everyone who's lost a life to type 1 diabetes.
Sebastien Sasseville was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 22. Since then, he has climbed Mt. Everest, finished multiple IronMan races, run across the Sahara Desert and, last year, completed an incredible run across Canada. It took 9 months and equalled 180 marathons. We talk about his motivation (he says he's not really an athlete!) and what he hopes those of us who aren't climbing mountains or running marathons can learn from his exapmle