Type 1 Snowboard Camp with Sean - I'm exhausted

For the 3rd year in a row, I've brought Sean Busby, type 1 professional snowboarder, to Wisconsin to host a camp for kids. This year another foundation that normally "hosts" it canceled it at the last minute. Sean was receiving sad emails from veteran campers who were disappointed, so we trudged forward and made it happen on our own, me, Miles and Sean.

This year we returned to Devils Head Resort - the place we initially held the event. It was fun to return there and remember a lot of the great memories from our first camp. When the kids came back and thanked me over and over for saving the camp...wow....it made it all worthwhile for remembering this is about the KIDS and I'm glad Sean shares my passion in the "d" world. I've shared that passion with many people over the years and I just really reflected this weekend on those who have held onto the passion over all of these years and those who actually put kids first, and not just say they do. I digress.

What was really cool was to see how much the campers from the first year had improved in their snowboarding skills. I remember being on the hill with those very kids - Alex, Lucas, Jesse - when they were falling down and learning, just like I was! Now they whiz down the hills and halfpipes with Sean.

This year I brought the entire family. Joey (age 7) didn't want to snowboard and chose skis instead. Of course I was thrilled since I broke my tailbone boarding with Sean last year and it still is very tender. The thought of landing on it didn't appeal to me, so I happily put on skis with Joey. He was a natural at skiing! It wasn't long before he was up the chairlift with me.

I got up at 4:30 a.m. to drive Sean so he could get home to study in Salt Lake City. This trip was extra nice because Sean stayed at our house. How cute was it that Jesse's best friend came over to get Sean's autograph? I love snowboard camp and am so glad to be running the Wisconsin Camp again. I started it for Jesse, I continue it for Jesse.

What does this have to do with Triabetes? Nothing. :) But it has to do with the wonderful diabetes and sports world so I thought I would post something. Now, I'm taking a nap, lacing up running shoes and going for a swim tonight! The weather is warming up! Woo hoo!

Ninja Stealth

I saw this icon and thought of Steve "Ninja" Ahn. So I had to upload the photo. I was either going to load that up, or a picture of a thermometer to show the reason why I have a good excuse yet again today not to workout. I have managed to come down with the fever and chills on the day before I leave for a trip to Phoenix to attend the JDRF Gala. I'm going to be an airline passenger's worst nightmare! No one is going to want to sit next to me and all of my germs. But I'm determined to go.

Since I'm out here on the web and I usually ask anyone for anything - we are a nonprofit trying to spread the message that people with diabetes can do anything they set their minds to. That said, Dave Shack, the guy who "came off the couch" to do this Ironman is transforming rapidly and we need him to be equipped with hi-def cameras to capture the transformation (I never called you fat, Mr. Shack! So stop saying that!). My friend, Shawn, is working hard to track down some donated cameras, but if you believe in our mission and can get us some cameras for the athletes to record their lives, we sure would appreciate it!

Now I'm going back to bed. I have to rest before my trip.

I'm behind in the blog life, but I refuse to mention McDonalds

I have no business blogging about the Triabetes project because I can't come close to the riveting stories that are told by the athletes that are already blogging (go to http://www.triabetes.org/ to see the links to their blogs). But I thought, what the heck, blog. My perspective will be that of the mom of a type 1 child. I am doing the Ironman with these amazing people. Unlike the rest of them, I haven't begun my training. What's my excuse? Um, my day job as Executive Director for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation keeps me busy. I travel a lot for my job. I have 3 amazing kids ages 7, 11 and 14. I spend too much time on Facebook. My friends twist my arm frequently to come out and do stupid things like go to the Roller Derby (what? huh?) My bike coach (a Triabetes athlete as well) hasn't bugged me NEARLY enough to get off my butt. Errrr, my dog ate my swimsuit?

There are 5 of us I consider official Triabetic Wannabes that work very hard on this project. Me (of course) with a focus on keeping the athletes happy (you ARE happy, aren't you??), Nella Citino and Ray Ibsen who are putting the beautiful documentary together and have a child with diabetes, Matt Corcoran, M.D., the amazing doc for this team who also happens to run Diabetes Training Camp, and of course Nate Heintzman, scientist extraordinaire out in San Diego sweating his you-know-what-off to lead this project. If this blog doesn't go over well, Nate and I can always start a blog about burritos or something.

I can't tell you the reward I feel each and every day when I read the athlete's blogs and watch them transform before my eyes. Your eyes. I can't tell you what it feels like to know I brought them together AND we are having fun along the way. I can't tell you what it feels like to know my type 1 son, Jesse, is diggin' it.

I'm not mentioning McDonalds, and it's not on my running route. Not yet. If they become a sponsor, I promise to run past it and eat there. For now, I continue to run the Arboretum with my friend Zeke telling me to get my butt in gear. I look forward to my weekly runs to Picnic Point with my good friend, Tierney, who tells me I'm old and fat and MAY finish IM.

Bring on the smack talk...it's the only thing that will get me across that finish. I have a goal, it's shallow, but a goal nonetheless. I'll share in a future blog.