When I was 11 years old, my world changed when I received a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Back then, the life I have now wasn’t a given. Living alone, having children, endurance athletics. All of those things are now possible, and in large part because of research from JDRF. I safely live alone, I’m able to have children, and I am an endurance athlete.
There has always been a plan for my life, and I serve a God who knows that plan. Even when I haven’t known or have struggled to trust, He has been in control, and it has been well. And this weekend, in the wind of Death Valley, I saw His power on full display. I experienced an adventure like none other.
Four years ago, I had a terrible experience in the desert, but a tremendous encounter with a group of strangers that changed my life forever. To see how far I’ve come in four years was extremely powerful. to be in that place with hard memories and to replace them with victories and with fondness is something I am grateful for.
To leave a place four years ago certain I’d never return… to return and know I’ll return to this place my entire life. To have a desert wasteland leave deep scars on my heart, to return and have that same breathtaking landscape heal those scars with beautiful memories… I can’t find the words for that kind of healing. I only hope you can experience something of similar impact in your life. To climb a hill repeatedly—metaphorically and literally—you couldn’t make it up four years ago brought me to my knees in grateful prayer.
Trust. Trusting God with the plan when you can’t see it and when your heart is too wounded to try. Trusting the training and trusting your legs to carry you. Trusting your blood sugar plan because you’ve worked to perfect it. Trusting your friends to step up when it counts and support the research that keeps you alive everyday. Trusting that there is beauty in all seasons, even in the hard and the broken places.
This job I do is not simply a job; it’s a mission. People are counting on JDRF to make their lives easier, to keep their children safe, to give their families a reason to hope. It’s not a job I take lightly, and it’s one that can be overwhelming. It’s hard work, and it’s sometimes tireless work. But it is work that matters to millions of people, and it’s a mission I will fight for until there’s a cure.
I may post a lot about cycling, and I may constantly ask you for donations throughout the year. But you need to understand how many people count on us to help them. Diabetes is 24/7. I did not ask for this disease, and I did nothing to warrant its appearance in my life at age 11. But it’s part of my story, and it’s been a positive part of that journey since discovering cycling. I’ll never apologize for fundraising, and I’m not going to stop until there’s a cure. For those who have given, thank you. For those who want to and haven’t yet, thank you. For those who haven’t yet, please consider. The research is life-changing and life-giving.
I wish I could convey the emotion my heart is feeling today, but that’s not possible. What is possible, is you signing up for a ride so you can experience it yourself. With absolute certainty, I can promise your heart will expand and your life will be changed if you allow yourself to be open. It’s an incredibly beautiful thing.