Marblehead residents, LuAnn and Meghan Gabel, will be taking part in The American Diabetes Association’s movement to Stop Diabetes® by volunteering in the annual Tour de Cure®. This cycling event is happening on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at the Topsfield Fairgrounds in Topsfield, MA to help raise funds to change the future of diabetes and help stop this devastating disease.
Meghan was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 13-years-old. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that you can’t live with diabetes on your own,” Meghan explains. “I soon realized this after attending a summer camp for diabetics only a year after my diagnosis, where I was thrilled to be surrounded by people who were just like me.” From her experience, Meghan wanted to get more involved in the diabetes community. “I heard about the American Diabetes Association and decided to join the youth leader program two years ago.”
The youth leader program really helped Meghan. “I began looking forward to the days when the group would meet as if they were holidays,” Meghan states. “It was a chance for me to take a break from managing my diabetes on my own and vent about it to other people who understood how I felt. The program has made me feel less alone in my fight against diabetes by offering support and also encouraging advocacy and education for diabetes.”
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LuAnn, Meghan’s mother, also had to adjust to ‘the new normal’. “All of our lives were to change, especially Meghan’s, but in many ways the changes have been for the good,” LuAnn remembers. “Meghan blossomed in the youth leader program. It was just like camp, she didn’t feel different and all of the kids spoke the same ‘language’. Through the group, Meghan wanted to help out with the 2012 Tour de Cure.”
Like many parents, LuAnn was Meghan’s ride to the Tour de Cure. Instead of just dropping her off and picking her up, LuAnn decided to stay and volunteer as well. “I take a lot of pictures for my children’s sports teams so I offered to be a photographer for the ride. I gave Meghan a camera as well,” LuAnn recalls. “It was a beautiful and glorious day. I took hundreds of pictures but what always caught my eye were the cyclists wearing Red Rider jerseys. These Red Riders were young and old, and the cheers at the finish line were always the loudest for these special riders. Even Meghan proudly wore a Red Rider t-shirt.”
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A Red Rider is any rider living with diabetes. The purpose of the Red Rider program is to support everyone who lives with diabetes, type 1 and type 2, and showcases the courage it takes to live every day with this difficult disease. The Tour de Cure recognizes riders with diabetes as the heroes on the day of the event.
Tour de Cure is designed for anyone from the occasional to the experienced cyclist with routes from the 15-mile family ride to 100-mile Gran Fondo, a century ride. The routes all feature rest stops with food to fuel the journey and volunteers to cheer riders on.
The Tour de Cure raises funds for the 26 million Americans living with diabetes through registration fees and pledges collected by the cyclists. To register, cyclists or volunteers can call the American Diabetes Association at 617-482-4580 ext. 3487 or visit us at www.diabetes.org/nsmedia.
The North Shore Tour de Cure is sponsored nationally by Gold’s Gym, Lilly Diabetes, and Bumble Bee Foods; Locally by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Summit Partners, Boston Scientific Corporation, North Shore Magazine, Mix 104.1, Amp 103.3, and WBZ News Radio; and Regionally by Subaru of New England. Each Tour de Cure features a variety of routes. The North Shore Tour de Cure routes include:
100 Mile Gran Fondo- This is an epic route including two timed segments for fantastic prizes, challenging climbs and a variety of terrain in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and on Cape Ann.
62 Mile Route- This challenging route travels through the beautiful North Shore and includes scenic countryside and local communities.
31 Mile Route- Riding this route, you will see picturesque Cape Ann landscapes with beautiful views and roads.
15 Mile Route- Great for avid and newer cyclists alike, this route will travel through charming North Shore countryside.
“I couldn’t stop smiling,” Meghan recollects. “I got to spend the day surrounded by my friends and fellow diabetics in the youth leader program. In addition, I got to paint the faces of little kids who grinned when they saw I had the same insulin pump as them and take the pictures of exhausted but ecstatic bike riders after they crossed the finish line. I am absolutely positive that volunteering is something I will continue to do until a cure is found.”
The money raised from the Tour de Cure goes towards research, programs, and advocacy efforts to help those affected by diabetes. The youth leader program and summer camp that Meghan participates in are some examples of the programs.
“The Red Riders’ faces say it all,” LuAnn says. “It’s a look of gratitude for all the hundreds of people that ride in support of finding a cure for diabetes. My own daughter had the same look. She was just like everyone else, all hoping and praying for a cure. Volunteering for the Tour de Cure is a wonderful way for me to show Meghan how proud I am of her and her struggle to live a healthy, normal life as a type 1 diabetic. The ADA has given Meghan the tools to live her ‘new normal’ life, which is very important as she heads off to college in the fall.”
To join the Gabels at this year’s Tour de Cure, please visit www.diabetes.org/nsmedia to register as a rider or sign up to volunteer.
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.
