The JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes Amelia Island 2019 is in the books and I can’t begin to tell you how amazing the ride weekend turned out to be. This was my very first JDRF Ride and my first time fundraising for the cause so I didn’t really know what to expect, how the fundraising would go, and how I would perform on the ride.

Let’s start with the ride. I had targeted this ride to try to complete my first century ride given that I was familiar with the course, it was a fully supported ride, and it was for an amazing cause. I started my training months ago and had made great progress on increasing my distance, speed, and endurance. When training for long rides, one of the biggest challenges is finding the time needed for training. Time in the saddle and on the bike is needed for most people to train for 100-mile bike ride. Another challenge, particularly in Florida is the heat. Given that the bulk of my training took place during the heat of the summer, I had more than one training ride where the heat just wiped me out. Dehydration is a real (and dangerous) thing and I did not want to get, as the ole timers would say, “bear-caught.”

As far as charity rides go, this ride is at the top of my list. The enthusiasm that all the participates shared, the service at the rest stops, the support along the route, and the finish line reception truly gave the riders a sense that we were a part of something special and when I crossed the finish line to cheers with my name being announced, had me on such a high I felt like riding another few miles. I fell short of my 100-mile goal, due to, you guessed it, the heat. The southern part of the course had very little shade and it took a toll on me later in the ride. I ultimately finished haven ridden 75 miles, my personal best and I feel great about that accomplishment. I still have a goal to get that century in before the end of 2019, in much cooler weather!

Outside of the ride, the weekend was spent with some amazing people, with one vision in mind, to turn Type 1 into Type None. There were numerous seminars to attend, everything from how to manage your T1D on the ride to research updates. Gia had a chance to meet and interact with other children and adults who were thriving with T1D. Walking around the resort, it was common to see people with insulin pumps and glucose monitors, wearing their devices proudly, giving it a sense of normalcy. Having T1D for a child can be a lonely existence and to see so many in one place, having fun, and just being themselves was great to see. As a family, we set a modest fundraising goal of $2,000 and I am happy to report we exceeded our goal, pulling in over $2600, with the entire ride raising $2 million!

Gia was unable to ride this year because she was too young. However, she will be 13 years old when the ride rolls around next year and has expressed a desire to ride. That will be twice as much fundraising and twice as much training but there is no way I would discourage her from participating in an event that is so relevant and personal to her situation. If she wants to ride, we will ride, together.

 North Florida Team