Transcript – Nathan Bartels
Nathan:
I'm Nathan Bartels. I'm from Des Moines, Iowa and I am a member of Team Type 1.
Last year we raced in a race called Race Across America, we finished in five days, fourteen hours, I think fifty some odd minutes. We won that beating the nearest team to us by three hours. It was a team of professionals.
I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at age fourteen. I had all the classic symptoms; rapid weight loss, I had to go to the bathroom all the time. You know, you kinda shrug that stuff off, you're just like well I'm probably sick, you know, it'll get better. I was finally taken to the hospital and had to spend a couple days in the hospital before they realized.
I just, you know, pretty much just went through the motions, did what the doctors told me to do. It really wasn't until the bike racing that I really started to dial in my diabetes management and really educate myself. You know I realized that I really had to get tight control. It's really beneficial to really learn what's going on with your blood sugars. I've learned so much being around, you know, eight, ten other, other athletes with type one diabetes.
We kinda watch out for one another, if someone is having a hypo or whatever, we can kinda catch it, you can kinda pick up on people's behaviors and help'em out. You know, people have this kind of idea of what type one diabetes is, they hear all the kinda horror stories. That's quite frustrating because Team Type 1 is the positive view; inspiring and getting more people involved and taking control and a proactive approach to their diabetes management.
I'm just truly fortunate to be a part of this team to be able to kinda relay that message.
