June Cure Champion
Gilad Waldman
I have type 1 diabetes (T1D), my dad does not, and yet for the past 10 years we have both been battling this disease together every day. I check my blood sugar as often as possible and he (and my mom) check during the night and notice if I’m acting a little weird due to highs or lows. In elementary school we taught my class about diabetes, and later on he accompanied me to the Breakthrough T1D Children’s Congress in D.C. where we lobbied congress.
This year, we’re adding one more thing to this list of things we do together to fight diabetes. For the past nine years my dad has participated in the Breakthrough T1D Ride to Cure Diabetes and raised more than $50,000 toward improving the lives of people with diabetes and ultimately finding a cure. While the money is very important, that is not what has inspired me to join him this year. A thousand times more impressive than the money is the loving support that flows in from family and friends every year and the immense dedication that my dad puts into training to ride 100 miles. This is especially meaningful to me because it lets me know I’m not battling diabetes alone.
My dad always says after coming back from the Breakthrough T1D Rides that the experience of spending a whole weekend with an amazing group of people, all dedicated to fighting T1D is an incredible, uplifting, even life-changing experience. This year I am joining my dad for my first Ride to Cure Diabetes in Burlington, Vermont and I look forward to share this amazing experience.
Already through our shared training we’re challenging T1D in yet another way. Not only are we raising money for research, but we are also proving that T1D cannot stop you from doing anything, even biking 100 miles. We’re as determined to beat T1D as we are to finish the Ride, and we’ll keep riding and fighting till we turn type one into type none!
To support Gilad and Micah’s Ride efforts, visit https://secure3.convio.net/jdrf3/goto/gw. To learn more about the Ride, visit https://www.ride.jdrf.org or contact Jillian Boston at 781-431-0700 or jboston@BreakthroughT1D.org.