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Diabetes and Triathlon

P

projecttype1

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Just putting some feelers out really I'm a type 1 diabetic and I'm thinking of setting up a sort of online endurance sports/ triathlete community/ team under the pseudonym Project Type 1 taking inspiration from the Team Type 1 that became Team NorvoNordisk. I particularly found it difficult to find anything relating to diabetes and triathlon / endurance sports and the NHS did have a lot of experience. I want to create an environment for diabetics of all types to have a place to go to discuss the issues we have to deal with as well as having a common love of the sport? I was just wondering if there was any interest in this? It also gives the opportunity to raise awareness and show that just because we have diabetes we can go hard! If nothing else it gives purpose to my diabetic and athletic journey!

Tom
 
Love the idea Tom - I think it would be great because it could inspire our kids and show them that it can be done. Runsweet.com offers information on different sports, I know a guy who runs marathons and endurance races with his pump, he has to prepare more because of this but it doesn't stop him, I am not particularly athletic but take my road bike out twice a week to keep fit, keen to hear more ;)
 
Hi Juicyj I looked at runsweet when I was diagnosed @ 23 in 2007, hopefully I don't offend anyone but it wasn't exactly inspiring! Im hopefully going to speak with some charities too and some companies for potential sponsorship but it's all going to depend on numbers! There is such a stigma about diabetes and sport and in particular hypos and I want to hopefully inspire kids with diabetes that we can do everything that anyone can do but it's just about thinking about it more. And that's the advice my dad gave to me when I was diagnosed, it was never about stopping anything just chance the way I did it.
 
Sounds like a great idea to me, I'd find it useful! My dietician swore me off the gym, running & a low carb diet-I ignored her lol. I've been running some since I got the diet pretty much sorted, just starting back at the gym last few weeks. I haven't found running affects my blood sugars massively, but I haven't gone over 5/6 miles yet. Would be great to learn more from others, tips and such (got diagnosed Xmas so still learning a lot! Lol) I was looking to do the great north run possibly next year :/ I had planned to last year then became ill, eventually found out it was diabetes.
 
@projecttype1, have you looked at TeamBG? http://www.teambloodglucose.com/TeamBG/About.html

They have a major focus on Diabetes and Exercise and the Sporty T1s Group on Facebook was set up (by Team BG) with precisely this idea in mind. There are plenty of us out there who run, cycle, swim and lift weights amongst just a few of the many activities that go on. It would be worth you taking a look. I've tagged @Bebo321 on here who can tell you more.
 
@tim2000s nice one mate will check them out. To be honest never heard of them. Have a look at Pete Southerland's book and Team Type 1. I'm not naive and think this is an original idea but it will be fun and give me a chance to do something meaningful and hopefully help some people along the way
 
@Dannyb87 glad to know that the idea isn't a daft one and would be useful to people. I was diagnosed in 07 and did my first sprint tri in 08! Before the race I went to my local diabetes clinic for some advice! They genuinely had no idea I'm not even sure they knew what a triathlon was! And over the years I've had no better advice from NHS in that respect. But I will say one nurse took the trouble to go on the Internet and print me some stuff off. It was the same article on runsweet that hasn't changed in 9 years but the thought was there! My biggest issue is there are no recent diabetic sporting heros and icons! We keep wheeling out the same faces, don't get me wrong sir Steve is a god in my eyes but there has got to be some more recent athletes pushing the boundaries. I know of a few more US diabetic athletes but they have a REAL problem with type 2 so I suppose it's more in the mainstream media.
 
The groups I'm in on Facebook are heavily subscribed. I enjoy reading posts on there and picking up information.
 
And let's face it, there are some great role models out there. England Rugby player Henry Slade who is type 1 being a great example.
 
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