Cycling has been a Gift to me in managing my diabetes condition. Diagnosed at age 29, I struggled for years with high blood glucose until few years ago, a good friend gave me a road bike and challenged me to ride. Since then, cycling has allowed me to avoid thousands of insulin injections and now that my blood glucose is stable, I am using cycling as an instrument to give back.
On May 30- June 8, 2017, I will ride my bicycle from Chicago to Atlanta, a 1,300 kilometers journey through America’s Diabetes Belt, a section of the country whose diabetes rate is 11% or greater. The diabetes belt has higher rates of obesity and physical inactivity than other U.S. regions. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends culturally appropriate interventions aimed at decreasing obesity and sedentary lifestyle in counties within the diabetes belt.
I will do all I can during this ride to promote healthy lifestyle and inspire others to take control of their wellness.
This will be my longest cycling journey to date. Weather factors, unfamiliar terrain and the distance make this adventure logistically complex and physically challenging for any person, let alone someone living with type-1 diabetes.
Rotary of Chicago Send-Off… More
Join or Assist along the way… More
Follow the EPiC Journey…(Coming Soon!)
A bicycle ride of this magnitude requires training regimen that will test me physically and challenge my personal blood glucose management and nutrition program.
I am dedicating my effort to all who are living with diabetes and provide awareness about our condition to everyone. I understand the challenges of diabetes. Much like this bike ride, living with diabetes can be mentally daunting, it is a tough and constant battle, and feels like you are all alone in the middle of nowhere fighting it out.
The CDC declares, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes and another 86 million are at risk for developing diabetes. With these kind of numbers we need to pool ourselves together.
Join hands with me. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of people with diabetes today.
Thank you for supporting my effort. Knowing there are caring and generous people like you behind me, this will inspire me to train and keep going during my Epic Journey Through America’s Diabetes Belt. With your tax deductible gift, we can do more to raise awareness and raise funds than any one of us can do alone.
Click here to DONATE NOW to the American Diabetes Association.
Cheers!
Edwin A. Velarde, T1D
EPiC Journey Against Diabetes 