Going the Distance

When it comes to "Going the Distance" for Diabetes Awareness, Team Type 1 is unbeatable!  They are truly an inspiration to the entire diabetes community...and beyond.

I would like to share this press release with you about what Team Type 1 and TrialNet are doing this November.

Team Type 1 and TrialNet Go the Distance for Type 1 Diabetes

Team Type 1, a group of elite athletes with type 1 diabetes, will Run Across America, starting in San Diego and crossing the New York City finish line on November 14, World Diabetes Day. Expecting to cover 200 miles a day for 15 days, the runners hope their 3,000-mile trek will help raise awareness of type 1 diabetes.

At the same time, TrialNet, an international network of researchers exploring ways to prevent and delay the progression of type 1 diabetes, will be attempting to cross a finish line of its own. TrialNet’s goal is to screen an additional 3,000 people—one for every mile that Team Type 1 runs—for increased risk of type 1 diabetes. Reaching this goal will bring the total number of people who have participated in TrialNet research to 100,000.

The test offered by TrialNet is not your standard type 1 diabetes test. This test can actually detect an increased risk for type 1 diabetes up to 10 years before symptoms appear. TrialNet offers the screening free of charge to relatives of people with type 1 diabetes (whose chances of developing the disease are approximately 15 times greater than those with no family history).

Why is identifying increased risk so important? Screening is the first step in the pathway to prevention. Those identified at increased risk may be able to join research studies testing ways to delay and even prevent the disease.

Team Type 1 and TrialNet want people to know that great strides have been made in early detection and treatment of type 1 diabetes. “These athletes inspire all of us, especially children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes,” said Bill Russell, M.D., TrialNet principal investigator at the Vanderbilt Eskind Diabetes Clinic. “They send a message that says people with type 1 diabetes can do anything!” Dr. Russell has accompanied Team Type 1’s cycling team as a team physician and witnessed their hard work and dedication firsthand.

Nearly 200 TrialNet locations nationwide offer screening and research studies. Screening test kits are also available by mail.

You and your family can join the team by getting screened for type 1 diabetes. To find a TrialNet location or to learn more, visit http://www.DiabetesTrialNet.org/ or call 1-800-425-8361. To learn more about Team Type 1 and follow the Run Across America, visit http://teamtype1.org/.

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Led by the National Institutes of Health, TrialNet is supported by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association.


Team Type 1 is a global sports organization changing the lives of people with diabetes around the world through racing, groundbreaking research, international outreach, and philanthropic initiatives in developing countries.


I had the TrialNet screening done this year with my friend Hallie.  It was really quick and easy.

Don't forget to visit the Team Type 1 site to track their Run Across America.  It's been fun watching them Go the Distance!


Diabetes Fact #1:  Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.


Diabetes Fact #2:  No one knows exactly what causes type 1 diabetes. However, it IS known that it is NOT caused by poor diet or lack of exercise. Scientists believe that both genetic and environmental factors are involved.


Diabetes Fact #3:  Type 1 diabetes, sometimes referred to as Juvenile Diabetes, can strike at ANY age.

Diabetes Fact #4:  Type 1 diabets can occur suddenly and causes a dependence on insulin for life. Until a there is a cure.

Diabetes Fact #5:  To stay alive, people with type 1 diabetes must take multiple insulin injections daily or continually infuse insulin through an insulin pump.