Archive for the ‘Inspirations’ Category
10. Thou shalt not take the name of Eddie Merckx in vain.
9. Thou shalt be screamed at by one Grewal or another.
8. Thou shalt be screwed by one cycling federation or another.
7. Thou shalt have your bike destroyed and luggage lost by airlines.
6. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor=’s bike swag.
5. Thou shalt pee in a cup eventually.
4. Thou shalt be thrashed, trashed, crashed and smashed by someone younger and stronger than you.
3. Thou shalt wear your helmet (and Road ID ) on every ride.
2. Thou shalt not touch thy front brake while negotiating off-camber switchback turns.=
1. Thou shalt crash and look like a fool sooner or later
To learn more about Bob, visit http://www.roadid.com/team
Craig and Johnny in 2007
Johnny is nine (but was 6 in the picture) and is my second cousin. He loves dinosaurs, loves playing with his brothers Ryan and Jacob and is a joy for his parents.
Even though Johnny has all these loves and the desire to have fun like any other child, he gets slowed down by having Type 1 diabetes more commonly known as Juvenile Diabetes. This means his body cannot naturally produce insulin. At least 8 times a day he needs his blood sugars checked, get insulin injected and his parents need to be ever careful about his diet. This daily routine is something that, given today’s diabetes treatment, he will be doing for the rest of his life.
Johnny and I share the common tie of being diabetic however his Type 1 is much more serious than my Type 2 in the long term and finding a cure for him along with the millions others who have diabetes is why I am raising money and riding over 100 miles along the Mississippi Valley covering three states (WI, MN, IA).
Johnny is a great kid and he deserves a life (as does all diabetics) without having to deal with this disease and I am hoping that through our mutual support, we can achieve this goal for him and all those who suffer from Type 1 diabetes.
Please support me in my ride in the fight to cure diabetes. On behalf of Johnny, myself and JDRF we thank you.
Doing this 100 mile ride through Death Valley, CA actually is acheiving a couple of life goals for me. One is simply the ride itself and second as a way to give back and raise awareness for a disease that has touched me personally and my family directly. The ride is raising funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
A couple of years ago I saw a documentary that really got me thinking. It was a movie about Ron Santo, “This Old Cub”. His story is amazing as a type 1 diabetic who competed in professional sports without benefit of the technology that exists today. What’s even more amazing is that he didn’t talk about it. As a fellow diabetic (type 2) I know that the wild swings in blood sugar levels causes havoc with a persons physical and mental conditions. Being too low makes some people “goofy” as my daughter describes it. Its why diabetics carry cards that tell police in the event that they get pulled over for a suspected dui, it may not be alcohol but in fact low blood sugar. Thing is, the behavioral affect is similar to that of an intoxicated person. So imagine knowing that in that desperate situation you need carbs and in a HURRY! Orange juice, candy bars or similar type of quick effect foods can get one over the low sugar incident. But I digress….
So Santo has a wonderful career with the Cubs and I watched them everyday I could after coming home from grade school. The games would still be on. Santo, Kessinger, Hundley, Banks, Williams, Holtzman, Bert Hooten, et al. I grew up as a 7 year old watching these guys on a b&w tv. It was great and listening to Brickhouse call the games…wonderful. So during the movie, here’s Santo, ravaged by diabetes and loses not one leg below the knee but two! Then I start thinking about classmates of mine in grade school that were type 1. I know that one of them died after years of surgeries that slowly took her extremities and finally her life. Totally unecessary in my mind. My father got diagnosed with Type II in his late 50′s, I got diagnosed when I was 30 years old. My cousin Johnny gets diagnosed with Type 1 at the age of 5. When I was diagnosed, I remember at the time thinking that I would just diet and all would get better. I failed to realize that this is a lifetime deal…no cure.
Back to This Old Cub…So this guy Bill Holden decides to raise money for diabetes in honor of Ron Santo and just starts walking from Arizona to Chicago. This guy is no athelete but is so touched by the Santo story and a huge Cubs fan that he decides to do something. Well that just did it for me. I am lucky enough to have good enough health to get on my bike and ride some serious miles for diabetics everywhere and raise money in search of a cure. So for my dad, my cousin Johnny, friends including Monica and finally Ron Santo. These miles are for you!