I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in 1980. Over the course of my childhood, people around me would try to encourage me by saying things like, “we’ll have a cure any day now.” Well, that hasn’t happened. I’ve been on a journey through life, schlepping my medical supplies with me along the way, constantly assessing how my immediate actions will affect my blood glucose and my overall health. If my life’s journey were labeled like a ski slope, it would have the following warning: expert terrain ahead.

For most of my life, I was a closet diabetic, keeping my condition private, only sharing it with my closest friends and my family. Diabetes does not define me. I live a healthy, active lifestyle thanks to unyielding love and support from my family. I also benefit from significant medical breakthroughs in biotechnology and medical devices that occurred over the past 5 decades.

In recent years, I’ve met other diabetics, and I’ve had the opportunity to give words of encouragement to parents of children with diabetes. The emotional turmoil that diseases like Type 1 Diabetes place on those afflicted, their families, and their friends is something that I had been ignoring as a closet diabetic. This past year, I learned that my mom used to lock herself in her room sobbing because of overwhelming concern for me, her diabetic child with poor blood glucose control.

In 1994, I was privileged to come under the care of Dr. Richard Brand, who is himself a Type 1 diabetic. Dr. Brand taught me that a long, healthy life is possible with Type 1 Diabetes by demonstrating it himself. He showed me that though my journey may be more challenging than that of my peers, I could indeed master it.

I began reengaging with the T1D community in 2024, and I'm actively working to create a new initiative to complement existing events and programs for T1D families. It's called "Master the Journey," embracing the oxymoronic challenge of chasing a long, healthy life when the hand you’ve been dealt is missing a few critical cards. Master the Journey combines the thrill and excitement of mountain biking with the pragmatic reality of managing life with T1D. Master the Journey events focus on youth cross-country mountain bike racing while at the same time working to raise charitable funds to offset the significant financial burdens that T1D places on families.

On August 17th, 2025, we hosted our first event at Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, CO. The event raised over $1700 for our friends at the Children's Diabetes Foundation, and it served as a proof of concept for future events.

On August 15, 2026, we are hosting a USA Cycling sanctioned youth mountain bike race at Fountain Valley School to benefit the T1D community. The event will also include a fun-ride for non-race participants to experience the course once all races complete. We are actively recruiting sponsors, vendors, and participants from across the region, with hopes of inspiring more participation from the T1D community in coming years.

Operating expenses for youth mountain bike events present a significant barrier to fulfilling the vision of Master the Journey, so I am raising funds to support operating expenses for our 2026 event to support the T1D community. Will you please help me?

Learn more about Master the Journey at www.masterthejourney.org.

Registration for the August 15th, 2026 event opens on March 1st, 2026 on https://www.bikereg.com/master-the-journey.

Donations from this fundraising campaign will help us pay for event expenses, including venue rental, permits, insurance, and race management services. A portion of the earnings from this event, including money from charitable donations, sponsorships, and participant registration fees will be donated to our friends at the Children's Diabetes Foundation.

Master the Journey is a charitable tax exempt organization as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).