Indycar Driver Charlie Kimball to Speak at Diabetes Conference at Rutgers

Charlie Kimball, the first licensed driver with diabetes in the history of INDYCAR will speak to attendees of the American Diabetes Association’s Annual Conferencia sobre la Diabetes (Diabetes Conference) on Saturday, December 12 at the Busch Campus Center on the Piscataway campus of Rutgers University. Kimball, appearing courtesy of Novo Nordisk, is expected to speak, greet participants and sign autographs between 10 and 11:30 a.m.

Kimball, who drives the No. 83 car for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing in the Verizon IndyCar Series, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2007 and forced to abandon his racing program mid-season. After his surprising diagnosis, Kimball returned to the cockpit in 2008 and claimed a podium finish in his first race back in the car. Today, Kimball continues to compete in one of the most competitive racing categories in the world, proving that living with diabetes does not have to restrict him from traveling at speeds of more than 200 miles an hour and fulfilling his dream.

The conference will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offer free health and wellness screenings, educational activities including seminars and demonstrations, and will stress the importance of healthy eating and physical fitness to aid in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Resources will be available in English, Spanish and Hindi.

Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, including 11% of adults in New Jersey. An estimated 230,000 in the state don’t know they have it and are at risk for developing deadly complications if not treated.

Admission to the conference is free and pre-registration is encouraged. For more information or to register visit www.diabetes.org/conferencia. If you have questions, please call 732-469-7979, Ext. 3510.

This year’s conference is made possible through the generous support of the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, NovoNordisk, Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Sanofi, Merck, AstraZeneca, Walgreens, Janssen, Colgate Palmolive, Amerigroup RealSolutions and El Diario.

About the American Diabetes Association

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. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

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