Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes

Country star George Canyon was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 14. At the time, all he wanted to do was be a pilot and serve his country. His dream had to change, but he never gave up on flying. Just this week, and due in part to George's efforts, Canada changed their regulations, allowing people with T1D to become private pilots. George was the runner up in the 2004 version of the TV show Nashville Star, he's had several huge albums since and a big career before, but he's also been to medical school and has spoken out about diabetes since he was diagnosed. Stacey spoke with him at the Children with Diabetes Friends for Life Conference, where he performed for a very appreciative crowd.

Rodney Miller is a power lifter and strongman competitor who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 4. Rodney's story is all the more remarkable because he says he was always small for his age and only walked into a gym about 8 years ago. Stacey talks to him about the reasons behind his move to fitness and toward the extreme (like lifting cars!). Rodney also founded Bolus & Barbells, an event for people with diabetes who enjoy lifting and barbell sports. In this episode, you'll hear from many people who took part in Bolus & Barbells and wanted to express their gratitude to Rodney. Stacey also talks about The Podcast Awards, Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conference and more!

Her videos bring humor, instruction and support to thousands of people with diabetes. Diabetic Danica, as she's known, has more than 14-thousand subscribers on her very popular YouTube channel. But she wasn't always in a place to help others. When diagnosed at age 11, Danica needed a lot of help herself. We'll talk about how she got from that scared 11 year old, to being a registered nurse and all those subscribers today. In our community connection this week, we find out about Type 1 Diabetes Day at the Georgia State Capitol. Trip Stoner, who was diagnosed with T1D as an adult, talks about her effort to educate state lawmakers. She's joined by Dr. Jonathan Ownby from Atlanta Diabetes Associates. Stacey also talks about next week's Children with Diabetes Friends for Life Conference and a new post by Scott Hanselman called, "The Promising State of Diabetes Technology in 2016."

Amanda Jo has been a professional entertainer since childhood. She's done everything from sing the national anthem at huge stadiums to performing opera and stage musicals. Amanda Jo was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager, just after she had decided to follow her passion into country music. Now a singer-songwriter in Nashville, she collaborated last summer with American Idol's Adam Lasher, who also has type 1, on The Needle Free Song, a diabetes anthem. We'll talk about how that song came about, how it took a while for Amanda Jo to feel comfortable talking about her diabetes and how she manages type 1 on the road and even on stage. Stacey also talks about Father's Day and how studies show that children whose fathers are more involved in their T1D management have better health outcomes.

Dexcom has released a few new studies about how people use their continuous glucose monotoring systems. Stacey talks about them with Tomas Walker, Dexcom's Director of Clinical Projects and a certified diabetes educator. The two studies, released at the American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions look at how people use a CGM in the real-world, outside of a clinical setting. For example, the FDA does not currently label Dexcom for use in making insulin dosing decisions; we are supposed to always confirm with a finger-stick. Of course, not everyone does this and Dexcom wanted to learn more about how and why. Another study looks at how setting the threshold alerts (the high and low alerts) within the system affect how people use a CGM and whether their blood sugar outcomes and A1Cs are affected. In this episode, Stacey also announces the winners of the Pebble Time Smartwatch Giveaway (thanks to all who entered)! She also talks about carrying supplies when in different theme parks, including going over the rules for carrying bags on rides at Disney World and Universal.

Ernesto Prado always wanted to be an astronaut but when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager, that dream had to change. He found a way to work in the space program anyway, as a technical project manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. He says going to work every day is a dream come true, and he has even bigger goals for his career. Ernesto's journey wasn't easy, his family wanted him to keep diabetes a secret at first, and he had some very bumpy times in college. He shares what helped him get back on track, mistakes he's learned from and why he wants people with diabetes to keep pushing the boundaries of what others think they can do. Our one year anniversary contest continues! Enter to win one of two Pebble Smartwatches at www.diabetes-connections.com. Contest closes on June 12, 2016. Please vote for us in The Podcast Awards! Diabetes Connections made the final 10 shows in the country for the Health category. Voting determines a national winner. Please vote at www.podcastawards.com

Jason Adams is the co-founder of CGM in the Cloud, said to be the biggest type 1 diabetes group on Facebook. With more than 18,000 members and still growing, it's a place to share ideas, advice and experience with sending information from Continuous Glucose Monitors into the cloud. In other words, moving the CGM information onto web-based devices so that BG numbers can be viewed remotely in a variety of ways. Adams explains how his daughter's T1D diagnosis led him to become the first non-programmer using Nightscout (the first open source program to "free" the data from a Dexcom CGM) and walks us through the founding of CGM in the Cloud. Adams says he initially expected the group to serve about 15-20 local friends! This episode also kicks off our one year anniversary contest! Enter to win one of two Pebble Smartwatches at www.diabetes-connections.com. Contest closes on June 12, 2016. Please vote for us in The Podcast Awards! Diabetes Connections made the final 10 shows in the country for the Health category. Voting determines a national winner. Please vote at www.podcastawards.com

The FreeStyle Libre is a newer way to check blood glucose levels but is not yet available in the United States. The system consists of a sensor, with a wire underneath the skin, like a traditional Continuous Glucose Monitor and a controller. To see blood glucose readings the user holds the controller up to the sensor. Abbott Diabetes Care calls the Libre a Flash Glucose Monitor. Stacey talks to Abbott's Senior Director of New Product Innovation, Joel Goldsmith. As of this airing, the Libre is available in Europe and is expected to launch in Australia in a few weeks. Stacey also talks about the end of the school year, looking ahead to Middle School for her son with type 1 and advice about 504 plans.

In early May, United Health Care announced that Medtronic would be its preferred provider of insulin pumps. Adults over the age of 18 who have UHC insurance will not be able to have any other brand of insulin pump covered. This set off lots of discussion within the diabetes community and prompted this special episode of Diabetes Connections. Stacey talks to Christel Aprigliano of Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC), Gary Scheiner, a diabetes educator with Integrated Diabetes Services, and Mike Hoskins, managing editor of DiabetesMine. This episode was partially recorded on the video platform Blab.

Moira McCarthy Stanford and her husband, Sean Stanford, were recently honored by the New England Chapter of JDRF at the Boston One Night Gala. Moira is an author, speaker, dedicated diabetes advocate, mentor and educator. When her daughter, Lauren, was diagnosed 18 years ago, Moira jumped into the diabetes community and hasn't looked back. Stacey talks to Moira about this honor and about the dress she wore to the Gala. Seamstress (and type 1 mom) Darlene Winn crafted it and hand-embroidered dozens of names into the lining - names of "T1D heroes I love," says Moira. You'll also hear from Moira & Sean's daughters, Lauren and Leigh. They talk about what this honor means to their family and how their parents kept a balance of diabetes management, helping the community and living a full and happy life outside of T1D (Leigh does not have diabetes). Stacey also talks with the JDRF chapter about why they chose Moira and to the director of the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. Moira more recently became involved in that organization and completed a grueling ride with Lauren last year.

What's it like to attend a diabetes conference? What goes on, who can you meet and is it worth it? Stacey traveled to Friends for Life in Falls Church, Virginia this past April to try to give you the sense of being there. She speaks to organizers, speakers, kids and parents who attend, even vendors to find out why they travel to conferences and what they get out of it. Guests include: Children with Diabetes Founder Jeff Hitchcock, Keynote speaker Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu, former acting Surgeon General and diagnosed with type 1 at age 55, Tweens & Teens attending the conference and their parents, Harold Sanco who gets the kids moving with fun exercise and activity programs, Friends for Life Organizer Laura Billetdeaux, Animas Senior Territory Manager Suzanne Hollis, TrialNet's Karen Riley & Falls Church Mayor David Tarter who has a child with type 1 and was excited to find the conference was coming to his town.

Happy Mother's Day! This week, Stacey looks at motherhood &diabetes from two inspiring perspectives. Karla Reed is the motherof NASCAR driver Ryan Reed, diagnosed with type 1 when he was 17years old. Karla talks about what she's learned in the five yearssince - a time when Ryan moved across the country to start hisNASCAR career, became a spokesperson for the American DiabetesAssociation and got his first big Xfinity win. Ginger Vieira is amom with type 1 diabetes; her little girl Lucy is 18 months old.Ginger shares her experience of a carefully planned and managedpregnancy. She's now teaming up with her diabetes educator, friend,and fellow T1D mom, Jennifer Smith, to help other women with type 1who want to start a family. Stacey also shares a little bit abouthow a decision her mother made nine years ago, influenced the wayshe and her husband care for and think about her son's T1D.

Stacey talks with Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer to mark the ten year anniversary of the company's first commercial product sale and to discuss improvements to customer service. Sayer talks about the long hold times and other issues customers have noticed recently, and explains why the recent growth of the company, along with a product recall, made those difficulties worse. We find out what Dexcom is doing to improve service and make the overall customer experience better. Sayer also answers questions about Android capability for Share and talks about other improvements coming to the system's receiver and inserter. .

Howard Look formed Tidepool after his daughter was diagnosed with type 1 in 2011 and, as a self-described "geek-dad" he was frustrated with the lack of access to her diabetes data. Tidepool is a platform for diabetes information and the apps that use it. It includes an uploader to get information off of devices like CGMs and insulin pumps and view them in a clear and accessible way. Look talks about the other features of Tidepool which help you make sense of what you're seeing. He also shares how his family uses Tidepool to make their diabetes management easier. Tidepool was honored at the White House last year and Howard Look shares his experience of being asked to sit on a panel with President Obama in February. Stacey also talks to a North Carolina father participating in the American Diabetes Association's' Tour de Cure. He got involved because his daughter's best friend has T1D and she wanted her friend to have a sleepover. The family got educated about type 1 and their involvement took off from there.

Dr. Ed Damiano is the developer of the bionic pancreas, a closed-loop system that uses a pump and a CGM to automate delivery of insulin as well as glucagon currently in clinical trials. Dr. Damiano got the idea for a dual-chambered system when his son was diagnosed with type 1 at the very young age of 11 months. Dr. Damiano talks to Stacey about the system, now called the "iLet" and about the new company formed to help bring it to market. Called Beta Bionics, it's a unique kind of company, perhaps the first of its kind in the diabetes sector. Dr. Damiano explains what a public benefit corporation is and why he felt it was necessary to form one in order to get the iLet from prototype to commercial product. In this episode, Stacey also shares the story of her family's first JDRF Walk almost ten years ago and how her daughter, who doesn't have diabetes, reacted to the idea of raising money for better research.

"The Human Trial" is a documentary in process about a potential new treatment for type 1 diabetes. Stacey talks to director Lisa Hepner about her life with type 1 and why she wanted to share this story. The movie features ViaCyte, a California biotech firm testing a stem cell treatment for T1D. They have FDA approval to test only the fourth embryonic stem cell-derived product in the world in people. As those human trials progress, Hepner and her crew are there to film the process. They hope to use the documentary to spread awareness and education about type 1 and about the encapsulation method. In this episode, we learn what ViaCyte is, all about encapsulation and why so many researchers and scientists are excited about these latest trials.

Sam Talbot shot to fame as a finalist on Bravo's Top Chef, then helped found the new diabetes advocacy group, Beyond Type 1. Diagnosed with type 1 when he was 11, Sam shares his love of healthy food, clean eating and managing diabetes despite a very busy schedule & lots of travel. Our Community Connection this week is health coach Daniele Hargenrader, better known at Diabetes Dominator. She's overcome her own health and life challenges with gusto and now helps others succeed.

A few years back, Scott Hanselman wrote a post some have called a seminal moment in the diabetes community. Called "The Sad State of Diabetes Technology in 2012," it sparked action, particularly in what's now known as the #WeAreNotWaiting movement. We talk to Scott about what he thinks about diabetes technology today, how he manages his own T1D and why a cross-country airplane trip is a perfect diabetes analogy. Community Connection this week is all about programs for adults with type 1. Camp Nejeda in New Jersey will host a weekend session in May. Information about that "Survive and Thrive Boot Camp," and ideas about how to begin something like that where you live. (Note: due to some technical issues, "helpful links" for this episode may not appear until 24 hours after the episode goes live. Apologies for the delay)

Stefany Shaheen says she was skeptical when her family decided to try a Diabetes Alert Dog for their daughter, Elle. She shares their story and explains what to ask before deciding whether an alert dog is right for you. Shaheen's book, "Elle & Coach: Diabetes, The Fight for My Daughter's Life and the Dog Who Changed Everything" comes out in paperback this month. Stacey also talks to Dexcom Research and Development Senior Vice President Jake Leach about the new G5 mobile app for the Apple Watch and much more.

Roddy Riddle says, "Rule diabetes. Don't let it rule you." Diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 40, Roddy was already an international cyclist and didn't see any reason to slow down. He completed the grueling Marathon de Sables ("The Toughest Footrace on Earth") and is competing right now in the 6633 Ultra, a 350 mile race that touches the Arctic Circle. Marina Tsaplina is just as tough, but in a very different way. She wants us to think about diabetes, and about all of health care, as a very human story. We talk to Marina about her organization The Betes, what puppets have to do with diabetes, and about "The Patient Voice" event.

This month, Pediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Stephen Ponder marks 50 years since his own diagnosis with type 1 diabetes. His book and method "Sugar Surfing" use CGM technology to practice dynamic diabetes management, anticipating where blood sugar numbers will be rather than reacting to where they've been. Dr. Ponder also answers questions from parents about independence, A1Cs and fear.

Ryan Reed started racing at age 4, but when he was diagnosed in 2011, he was told those days were over. Instead, Ryan found another doctor and surrounded himself with a "diabetes pit crew" of support. 5 years later, we talk about NASCAR, type 1 management and his Drive to Stop Diabetes partnership with the ADA. Stacey also talks about whether to celebrate "diaversaries" and brings up important information about a Dexcom alarm notification.

"My Diabetes Secret" is a place to share thoughts, frustrations and experiences online while staying anonymous. Creator Christopher Snider is also behind #DayOfDiabetes on Twitter and hosts the podcast "Just Talking. Diagnosed with type 1 in college, Snider shares why social media is important to his diabetes management and why he'd like to help other health communities with the "My Disease Secret" platform. Stacey also shares some advice she's been given for dealing with Dexcom-related skin issues.

Sam Fuld returns for his tenth season of Major League Baseball this year, now with the Oakland A's. He was diagnosed at age 10 and found inspiration in established Major League players who had type 1. Now Fuld holds a yearly sports camp for kids with diabetes where all the coaches have T1D as well. Stacey also talks with Yoga instructor Rachel Zinman, who was misdiagnosed for six years! She says it was a relief to finally find out she had type 1 diabetes.

In 2013, Bryan Mazlish created a home-made artificial pancreas system for use by his wife and son, both of whom have type 1 diabetes. Because Mazlish preferred to stay anonymous, a reporter dubbed him "Bigfoot." In 2015, Mazlish went public and partnered with two others to create Bigfoot Biomedical. Their goal is to bring this technology & other products to market in order to improve the lives of people with T1D. In our Community Connection, Stacey finds out about Hockey Fights T1D, a new JDRF fundraiser in upstate NY sparked by a two year old's diagnosis.

Three of the advocates behind the Spare a Rose charity campaign explain how it helps children with diabetes in the developing world. Kerri Sparling, Scott Johnson & Bennet Dunlap also play a few diabetes-news games with listeners. This episode is our contribution to Diabetes Podcast Week, a first of its kind effort organized by Stacey.

Julie Allred was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 10, a generation ago. Told she wouldn't live past 30 and would never have children, Julie proved her doctors wrong but eventually had so many low blood sugars that she couldn't drive or leave her house unaccompanied. Two islet cell transplants as part of a clinical trial have changed her life. Julie is also a school nurse; she shares advice for parents on working with school staff.

A conversation with Dexcom Chief Technical Officer Jorge Valdez. Stacey asks about some milestones users of the G5 transmitter are waiting for, Dexcom's partnership with Google and what the future may bring. Community Connection this week is with Hope Mangiafico, diagnosed type 1 as a child, she found her voice at Diabetes Camp. Now she helps people with diabetes reach exercise and fitness goals.

A bonus episode featuring a conversation with top executives at Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies (parent company of Animas). John Wilson is the Worldwide Vice President, Insulin Delivery and Krishna Venugopalan is the Worldwide Director, Research & Development, Insulin Delivery. They talk to Stacey about the significance of this approval, about Animas's agreement with Dexcom and what's coming next as that company moves forward with the Share, G5 and G6 versions of their CGM.

Manny Hernandez was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as an adult; he was first misdiagnosed as having type 2. Now with Livongo Health, Manny co-founded Diabetes Hands Foundation in 2007. This week he announced he will return to the Board. Our Community Connection this week is Anja Busse, the girl who started the petition asking American Girl Doll to add diabetes accessories to their wildly popular line. Two weeks ago, they made a diabetes kit available in stores and online.

An IRONMAN Triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order and without a break. Add type 1 diabetes to the mix and you've got a challenge few people ever try. In its first year, the Riding on Insulin Endurance program saw 63 athletes complete IRONMAN Wisconsin and raised $125,000 for the group's camps. Stacey talks to T1D IRONMAN Harry Thompson, as well as Michelle Alswager, the group's development director and an IRONMAN herself. Michelle also shares the story of her son, Jesse. Diagnosed in 2000 at age 3, Jesse died ten year later, when he was just 13. All JDRF Rides for the Cure now mark mile 23 for Jesse, and for everyone who's lost a life to type 1 diabetes.

Wrap up 2015 with a look back at our top episodes of the year. Listen to excerpts from interviews with Nightscout co-creator John Costik, Nightscout Foundation President James Weddington & contributor Kate Farnsworth. You'll hear from Moira McCarthy, the author of Raising Teens with Diabetes, Richard Vaughn, who marked 70 years of living with type 1 this year (he was diagnosed in 1945!) and Dexcom Chief Technical Officer Jorge Valdez. To hear the full interviews - or any of the interviews from 2015 - visit www.diabetes-connections.com/archives/ Happy New Year! -Stacey

Robyn Adams has a son, a husband, and a father-in-law with type 1 diabetes. She's also a Disney Planner and has advice on how to navigate a trip to Disney World (or anywhere) with diabetes. You'll also hear from Rob Myers, organizer of "Running for Ruth." His mother died last year from complications of type 2 diabetes and now he's honoring her memory by raising money to send kids with all types to diabetes camp. Stacey also talks about Diabetes Podcast Week, a project she's organizing for the week of February 1, 2016.

In Type ONEderland, Finding Hope in the Hard Places, Elizabeth Maxon tells the story of the surprises found when life does not go according to plan. Her daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and a thyroid disorder at the age of 5. Stacey also talks with Carolina Panther Kyle Love. Cut by the Patriots two years ago when he was diagnosed with type 2, Love shares the challenges of managing his professional weight (300+ lbs) with managing his diabetes. Stacey also explains why, on his 9 year anniversary of diabetes, her son wants to share an idea called #DFriends.

Author Andrew Deutscher talks about his book, Typecast, Amazing People Overcoming the Chronic Disease of Type 1 Diabetes. It's a look at how some people are able to turn their diagnosis into motivation or inspiration, allowing them to achieve incredible goals. Our Community Connection features Check B4U Drive, a safe driving program aimed at teengers with T1D. And this week marks nine years since Stacey's son was diagnosed. She explains what she'd go back and tell herself on that day if she had the chance.

Win Jerry! Jerry the Bear is an interactive teaching toy for children with type 1 diabetes and food allergies. Stacey talks to Jerry's inventors, Aaron Horowitz & Hannah Chung who co-founded their company, Sproutel, while still in college. This year they were honored at the White House. Our Community Connection this week focuses on Project Blue November, a grass-roots social media campaign that curates T1D ideas & inspiration. Listen to find out how to enter to win Jerry the Bear (contest closes 12/8/15).

Beyond Type 1 got quite a buzz when they launched earlier this year with their "Living Beyond" Instagram campaign and "The Drop Spotted" on social media. Stacey talks with CEO Sarah Lucas about the ideas behind Beyond Type 1, and finds out how celebrities with diabetes like Sam Talbot and Nick Jonas became co-founders. Sarah's daughter, Mary is the community manager of Beyond Type 1. She shares her story and talks about what the community means to her.

Diabetes Forecast magazine's Kelly Rawlings shares the American Diabetes Association's message for November. Kelly also talks about how, as someone with T1D, she balances bringing news for and about people with all kinds of diabetes. In our Community Connection, Stacey interviews syndicated radio host Ramona Halloway about her family's struggle with type 2 and her decision to have gastric bypass surgery.

How do you know which insulin pump is right for you or your child? Certified Diabetes Educator Linnet Steinman walks us through the options and gives advice about how to make the best choice based on individual needs. Stacey kicks off Diabetes Awareness Month with info about Diabetes Hands Foundation's The Big Blue Test and JDRF's T1D Looks Like Me campaigns..

When John Costik figured out how to display his son's Dexcom CGM readings on any web-based device, it was a breakthrough that forever changed how we're able to look at diabetes. John talks about the collaboration that followed, leading to Nightscout and CGM in the Cloud. This week's Community Connection is Kent Schnakenberg, who's vowed to take part in every JDRF Ride this year and travel through all 48 continental Unites States. Stacey talks about how her family manages Halloween and explains their strategy has changed through the years.

Dexcom's Chief Technical Officer Jorge Valdez answers questions about their new G5 Mobile CGM, the partnership with Google and what's next for Continuous Glucose Monitoring technology. Stacey also talks about CGM/Medicare legislation in front of Congress.

American Jeremy Larsen has traveled the world and currently lives in Japan. He started the 70-130 project (the "perfect" blood sugar range) to show that type 1 diabetes shouldn't hold anyone back from travel. Our Community Connection features a family that loves to visit exotic locations and their advice for taking diabetes on the road.

Speaker & author Moira McCarthy shares an emotional experience from a recent JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. Moira has been on several JDRF rides but this was the first with her daughter, Lauren (diagnosed T1D at age 6). Stacey also talks to Kady Helme, who works at JDRF and recently took part in an artifical pancreas trial.

DPAC is a new effort to make it easier for people with diabetes to communicate with policy makers. Co-founder Bennet Dunlap explains how Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition works and how we can all take part. Our Community Connection is with Stacey's cousin, Aaron. He shares his experience at JDRF Children's Congress this summer.

Worried about alarms she couldn't hear, Dana Lewis and Scott Leibrand "hacked" into the programming of her CGM. What they learned led them to a do-it-yourself closed loop artificial pancreas system that Dana has been using since December 2014 (and which she wore during their wedding in August). We find out how they did it, why they make their methods public and what it may mean for the future of diabetes management. In the Community Connection segment, we hear about LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults).

Named the 2014 Diabetes Educator of the Year by the American Association of Diabetes Educators, Gary Scheiner answers questions from our social media feeds. Gary is the owner and director of Integrated Diabetes Services and has lived with type 1 since 1985. Also this episode, Stacey shares her frustrations with trying to manage and learn about diabetes while sometimes not knowing even what questions to ask ("not knowing what we don't know").

"A Mile in My Shoes," is a fun, interactive project by diabetes nurse educator and family therapist Joe Solowiejczyk. Joe's been living with type 1 diabetes for 50 years. The Community Connection this week features Will's Way, which helps families with health insurance pay for diabetes supplies. We talk with Lisa, who started the non-profit after her son Will was diagnosed with type 1. This episode features a giveaway for "A Mile in My Shoes." Contest entries close on 9/13/15 at midnight.

Richard Vaughn was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1945 at the age of six. This month, he marks 70 years of living with T1D. Vaughn shares how diabetes management and tools have changed over the years and why he thinks he's been able to stay healthy. Our Community Connection features a woman who's also lived a long time with type 1 (40 years) but still encounters some awkward situations. She shares an uncomfortable moment she had while traveling and how she dealt with it.

Diabetes Hands Foundation's slogan is "no one with diabetes should feel alone." You'll hear from DHF interim executive director Melissa Lee. She did feel alone with her diabetes for a very long time and shares how she came to find support. This episode also features blogger and speaker Kelly Kunik about I Wish People Knew That Diabetes. It started as a hashtag on Twitter and is now blossoming into an exciting new campaign.

Sebastien Sasseville was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 22. Since then, he has climbed Mt. Everest, finished multiple IronMan races, run across the Sahara Desert and, last year, completed an incredible run across Canada. It took 9 months and equalled 180 marathons. We talk about his motivation (he says he's not really an athlete!) and what he hopes those of us who aren't climbing mountains or running marathons can learn from his exapmle