For Jacob Resler, living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been part of life for nearly two decades. Like many people diagnosed with T1D, he quickly learned that managing the condition extends far beyond checking blood sugar and taking insulin. Every day involves countless decisions, constant adjustments, and navigating variables that are often outside of his control. As Jacob puts it, T1D can be “completely invisible and brutal at the same time.”
From the outside, many people don’t see the work that goes into managing T1D. They don’t see the middle-of-the-night alarms, the unexpected lows, or the troubleshooting that comes with diabetes technology. They don’t see the mental energy required to balance food, exercise, stress, illness, and countless other factors that affect blood glucose levels. Yet for people living with T1D, that work never stops.
What has made that daily reality more manageable for Jacob is something just as powerful as any device or treatment: community.
Since his diagnosis 18 years ago, Jacob has built lasting connections with fellow members of the T1D community. He describes the experience as finding people who simply “get it.”
Whether it’s
comparing experiences with different diabetes technologies, sharing frustrations about insurance coverage, swapping management tips, or sitting in a diabetes camp where everyone’s alarms seem to go off at once, those shared experiences create an immediate sense of understanding and belonging.
“It’s so meaningful to have people who just get life with T1D,” Jacob shares. “The community makes it so much more bearable to deal with T1D on a daily basis.”
That sense of connection has inspired Jacob to stay deeply involved with Breakthrough T1D and the broader diabetes community. A dedicated volunteer and advocate, he has participated in numerous community events over the years, with the Ride program holding a special place in his heart. This year marks his 15th Ride, a milestone that reflects his long-standing commitment to accelerating research and improving the lives of everyone affected by T1D.
For Jacob, supporting Breakthrough T1D is about more than fundraising. It’s about helping drive the progress that has already transformed life with diabetes since he was diagnosed and ensuring that momentum continues for future generations. Advances in technology, expanded research funding, cell therapies, dual-hormone pump systems, and treatments designed to delay disease onset all give him reason to remain hopeful about what’s ahead.
Outside of advocacy, Jacob is an engineer, cyclist, coffee enthusiast, and self-described foodie. And while T1D touches every aspect of his life, he refuses to let it define his limits. From cycling challenging routes, including rides from Seattle to Portland and up Mount Washington, to celebrating the fact that people with T1D can now earn a pilot’s license, Jacob is passionate about showing others that diabetes doesn’t have to stand in the way of pursuing ambitious goals.
His message to others living with T1D is simple: never let diabetes stop you. There will be challenges, setbacks, and difficult days, but there is also a community ready to support you every step of the way. For Jacob, that community has been one of the most meaningful parts of his journey, transforming life with T1D from something faced alone into something shared with people who truly understand.
As he continues to ride, volunteer, and advocate for a better future, Jacob remains motivated by a belief shared across the diabetes community: the more we invest in progress today, the closer we get to better treatments, better outcomes, and ultimately, a world free from T1D.