Breakthrough T1D Ride is a charitable cycling event that has raised over $77 million for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, which has directly led to innovations like continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and disease-modifying therapies that can slow the progression of T1D. Ride offers cyclists of every age and skill level the chance to fuel breakthroughs that drive toward cures and improve the lives of those with T1D.
If you’ve never biked before, participating can seem a little intimidating for a first-time rider. Luckily, you’ll be joining a community of people united by a common goal: funding the fight against T1D! We sat down with two riders that shared their perspective on Breakthrough T1D Ride, and some tips and tricks that can help you get started.
Ten Years of Pedal Power to End T1D
Karen Brancato is marking 2026 with her tenth Breakthrough T1D Ride, and it’s going to be a big one—she’s riding the maximum 100 miles on Amelia Island with the Trailblazer package, which has a goal of raising $12,500, the highest option available.
“My original plan was 10 rides, 10 years, $10,000. But the trailblazer package is $12,500, so it’s the closest package to my goal,” Karen said.
But Karen didn’t start out by riding 100 miles. Her brother has T1D—he was diagnosed in the 1970s—and ten years ago, he asked Karen if she wanted to Ride with him.
“That first year we were together, we rode short. But by year two, my brother and I rode a metric century together, which was a huge accomplishment!” she said. “I love the 62-mile rides, the metric centuries, I’ve done a bunch of them. You have enough fun on the bike, but then there’s still time for fun at the finish line.”
Why does she keep coming back?
“It’s not really a decision that I intentionally make, it’s a given that I’m going to sign up,” Karen said. “If I didn’t, something would be wrong!”
Instead, Karen sees where she plans to ride as the decision-making process.
“I’ve ridden in Burlington, La Crosse, Cape Cod, and this year, I’m going back to Amelia Island, which is kind of like my home ride,” she said. “I’m going to wear that 10-year jersey, and I feel like I should do it on Amelia Island.”
A New Diagnosis, Followed by Racking Up Miles
In 2024, Wendi Fellner was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but something didn’t feel right.
“Not all the pieces were fitting for that diagnosis,” she said. “As I learned more and more, I heard ‘Maybe you’re actually a type 1, and guess what—there’s this brand-new treatment out there that can extend the period of time before you need to be on insulin.’”
That brand-new treatment was Tzield, which was developed with Breakthrough T1D-funded research. Approved by the FDA in 2022, it’s a disease-modifying therapy that targets the T cells responsible for destroying insulin-producing beta cells, slowing down the autoimmune processes that cause T1D. Wendi started taking it in May 2024.
“I was my provider’s first patient to get it, so he was also pretty excited!” Wendi said. “I do take insulin now, but I feel like it definitely helped me ease into being able to take care of myself with this condition.”
She’s grateful that Breakthrough T1D-funded research made Tzield possible—she thinks it extended her honeymoon phase—and it’s the main reason why she embarked on her first Ride in 2024, the same year as her T1D diagnosis.
“I felt really lucky that this was coming together at the right time, so it’s definitely part of the motivation for doing these rides to raise awareness and keep on looking for things that make our lives better and, obviously, also for cures!”
There was also a family connection—Wendi’s grandfather had T1D, and unfortunately passed away from complications when she was young.
“When I was diagnosed myself, the world had really changed in terms of how you can care for yourself,” she said. “When I dug into it a little bit deeper, I saw that Breakthrough T1D was really at the core of a lot of those important changes, and I wanted to do something to help.”
Ride 101: Tips and Tricks
As a veteran rider, Karen recommends getting started on your fundraising early by breaking that big overall goal into smaller monthly goals. By taking this approach, it’s much more manageable, and by the time you’re ready to ride, your fundraising is at the finish line.
Karen recommends thinking of creative ways to make fundraising fun—for example, she recommends partnering with a restaurant to donate a percentage of profits on a specific fundraising day.
“People say ‘no’ too easily if you just ask for a donation,” Karen said. “But if you have some creative idea, they say yes.”
For her trailblazer goal this year, Karen is doing a March Madness-style game board—supports can purchase squares on a 10×10 grid at $20 a piece, and can potentially win prizes. But if you’re not sure where to start with your fundraising, Karen says it’s important to keep in mind that you can use these same ideas no matter what your goal is.
“I didn’t start out riding 100 miles or raising $12,500,” Karen said. “My first ride in 2017 was about 50 miles, and I barley raised the $2,000 minimum!”
Wendi agrees. If you’re feeling uncertain, she recommends starting out with My Ride, like she did, and setting a goal to switch to a destination later.
“It is intimidating to think about such a big event, and I feel like that was a good way for me to get my foot in the door,” Wendi said. “I could ride however long I wanted to, and there was no pressure…it was a way to help me build confidence that I could actually go for the larger goal.”
Joining a Community With One Common Goal
Karen and Wendi say that joining Breakthrough T1D Ride is really joining one big community—case in point, they actually shared an Airbnb at the Amelia Island, Florida Ride last year!
And Wendi says riding as a part of that community is a very empowering experience.
“Once you’re there, it’s like you’re almost carried along by your teammates and the other riders and all of the coaches that are there to cheer you along, to help you if you have trouble,” Wendi said. “I always come off every ride just feeling like man, I can do anything. I can take on the world, and we’re going to cure it!”
She says people interested in riding for the first time should contact their local Breakthrough T1D chapter, get connected with a Ride team, and be part of a community that shares one common goal: fuel breakthroughs and find cures.
“You can do a shorter ride, you can do 30 miles, you can do 60 miles, and it’s OK,” Wendi said. “And you have a lot of support—coaches that can help you, keep you motivated, and keep you riding regularly to be ready for it.”
Karen agrees.
“Chapters will help you with fundraising and training rides, and it’s so much easier than doing it alone,” Karen said. “It’s all about the smiles, not the miles. That is an expression that we use a lot, because if you’re not having fun, why are you doing it?”
In 2026, we’re taking Breakthrough T1D Ride to five locations: La Crosse, Wisconsin; The Cascades, Washington; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Austin, Texas; and Amelia Island, Florida,
Not ready for an in-person event? You can join anywhere, anytime with Breakthrough T1D My Ride.
