Nineteen Good Reasons to Ride

Want to know why I'm willing to pedal across the United States, even today, when it's supposed to hit 95 degrees?  It's because every day 82 more young Americans turn up with type-1 diabetes.

And those people are young men and women and elementary kids and even toddlers, individuals like these:

Nicole Ayers,
planning to study nursing
in college.

Ben Wilson, aspiring photography and film major.



Alyssa Heal, type-1 diabetic since age 11.



Audrey Lake,
beating diabetes for 49 years
and without a complaint.

Joel McElfrish never let being diabetic
ruin his great sense of humor.

That's my Emily Viall.
She wasn't diabetic yet.
She could eat what she liked.



Katy Rogers: 
she's an artist and a good one.



Kyle Williams:  scuba diving into the future.



Noelle Fletcher.
She turned up type-1 at age 26.
Her brother, Matt, helped her
get over being a baby
and take her shots.

Matt Westendorf. 
His mom found him asleep and worn out
on the kitchen floor at age 3.
That's when he got diabetes.

Lauren Lemmon.
The young lady never gets down
about being diabetic.
She does admit she isn't fond
of Brussels sprouts.

Tom Youkilis
is much better looking than this.
He just never sent me his picture.
He never complains about his long
battle with insulin, shots, needles
and pumps.

 

Adam Kavka.
When he was in seventh grade
he gave me advice about diabetes
when Emiy was first diagnosed.
Now at Ohio State.

Sydney Mahon.
Someday she wants to be in theater.

Sidney Staebler.
Type-1 diabetic
who gave me a
petrified rock and
a little extra
motivation.

Sam McCorkle.  Diabetic since age 4. 
A Taekwondo star ever since.

Andrew Benzinger.
He's only four and his
grandfather Sam wants to
see him grow up
strong and healthy.

Jason Durbin (with his son).
He's a good dad and a diabetic.



Nick Hopkins:  he's a pet lover
and will be a freshman at
Loveland High School this coming year.




If you would like to donate to help find a cure for type-1 diabetes please click HERE! 

(This single click takes you to my fund-raising page.  There, click again on "donate to this event."  Then click "Biking and Painting for Diabetes."