Hi, my name is Katie and like you, I’m an adult living with type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed in 1977 at the age of two. My oldest daughter, Ellie, was diagnosed with type 1 in 2004 at the age of four. My family has been involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and has been participating in various events for many years.
Through JDRF I found an event that I’m extremely passionate about: The JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. It’s an adventure of a lifetime. Riders from around the world take on two challenges: raising the critical money that funds research that will cure diabetes, and reaching a personal training goal that will prepare them for their cycling experience. The Ride to Cure Diabetes is both physically and emotionally challenging, but it has made a changing impact on my self-confidence and in my diabetes management.
My husband, Steve, and I first joined the Ride to Cure Diabetes in March of 2006. Back then, the list of reasons not to seemed pretty daunting: no bikes, no time, two fulltime jobs, two kids, other priorities…. and really, the last time I had been on a bike I was in college. I wondered how having diabetes would affect my training and performance for an endurance event. But even though I kept thinking about all the reasons not to, I have always lived believing that diabetes cannot hold me back. I wanted to prove that to Ellie, and really, I wanted to prove it to myself. Walk the walk, as they say. Steve and I signed up together to ride 100 miles, in one day, in Death Valley, California. That was four years and five Rides ago.
Back then, I had become complacent about my diabetes care. Before my first Ride I worked with my endocrinology team and the JDRF coaches to prepare. I learned to manage my diabetes when I ride, a skill I can now put to use not only while I am on the bike, but also when I garden, when I’m coaching Little League, or when participating in any of the other activities I enjoy. Because of the Ride, both Steve and I are far healthier now than we were five years ago. After doing all the work of training, raising the money, and riding the 100 miles, the fact that I controlled diabetes during the hardest thing I’ve done in my life was a small personal victory.
I pushed myself further than I ever imagined I could. When I thought I wasn’t going to be able to achieve my goal, I had my teammates right there beside me to keep me going. The hard work and dedication paid off when I crossed that finish line. It is still hard for me to put that feeling into words. It was all worth it to see our daughters take our Ride medals to school as their ‘show and tell,’ to see how proud they are of us for riding our bikes 100 miles to cure type 1. Participating in the Ride was one of the greatest experiences of my life. There is a tremendous feeling of empowerment that comes from being surrounded by 300+ people who are all there to cure type 1 diabetes. Other fundraising events just don’t compare, and there is something about the experience that keeps me going back for more.
The people involved in the Ride are adults living with type 1, parents of children with type 1, and family members and friends of people with type 1— and then there is this other group. This is the part of what makes the Ride so inspiring to me—the people out there giving their time and their fundraising ability to cure Ellie and me when they don’t have a direct connection to diabetes. Together, we’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve supported and encouraged each other. And we’ve celebrated together. All while on our bikes. We have become “cyclists”, and we will be back in Death Valley to ride again this year.
The JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes has shown me a way to take charge of my diabetes—and go beyond. When I train, when I fundraise, and when I ride, I play a part in finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. I don’t do it alone, either. Friends, family, teammates, and supporters are all with me, focused on ridding the world of diabetes.
What are you doing to bring about a cure? Will you join us?
I invite you to visit the Ride to Cure Diabetes website at ride.jdrf.org. There you can find more information about the Ride and also read testimonials from participants.
There are still spots open at Rides all over the country this year; it’s not too late! If you have any questions at all, from riding to fundraising, there are coaches and riders, like me, all over the country who can help including a JDRF Bay Area Team Coach. Visit the website to learn more or contact Alison Urmson at 415-597-6309 or aurmson@jdrf.org who can answer your questions about this life-changing experience.
I hope to see you on the road soon. Note that Death Valley Ride is already at capacity.
