Fuel Blake's Dream: Racing Toward F1 with Courage and Grit

Help Me Chase My Dream- From Go Karts to F1!

Hi! My name is Blake Gibbs and I'm 10 years old. I just joined the XLR8 Racing Team with the West Coast Kart Club in Chilliwack, Canada- and I'm super excited to start my first season of go-kart racing!

My dream is to become a Formula 1 driver one day. Not just any F1 driver- I want to be the first ever F1 driver with Type 1 Diabetes. I know it won't be easy, but I'm not giving up.

Why Racing Means so Much to Me

I have some pretty serious medical conditions that make life tricky. When I was 8 years old, I was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency, which means my body doesn't make enough cortisol (that's the hormone that helps you deal with stress). I have to take medicine 3 times a day, and even more if I get sick or hurt- otherwise I could go into something called adrenal crisis, which is really dangerous.

Then, when I was 9 years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. That means I have to check my blood sugar all the time with a CGM (continuous glucose monitor), and I wear an insulin pump to help keep me safe. I get a lot of pokes; I have to changes my pump site every 3 days and my CGM every 10 days. I have to visit the hospital a lot.

Because of all this, I had to stop going to regular school and switch to online school so i don't get sick as much. I also had to quit competitive swimming, which I loved, because it made my blood sugar drop too low. That was really hard.

But guess what? Go-kart racing doesn't make my blood sugar drop! In fact, the adrenaline helps keep it steady. Racing makes me feel free and strong. It's something I can do safely- and I'm really good at it!

Why I Need Your Help

Racing go-karts takes a lot of gear, travel, coaching and support. I'm hoping you can help sponsor me so I can race this season in my Mini Swift kart (that's the kind I drive for my age group). Every little bit helps me get closer to my dream.

I know I'll have to work extra hard because of my medical stuff, but I'm ready. I even got to meet Jordan Morris this summer (he's a soccer player with Type 1 Diabetes!) and he told me to never give up on my dream. So, I won't.

Thank you for reading my story and cheering me on. I hope you'll be part of my journey and my dream of being a F1 driver!

Blake Gibbs