by Jess Snyder with Tony Rose
Tony Rose is the author of Blogging Diabetes and the voice behind the Blogging Diabetes podcasts. Tony was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1998, and since that time he has worked passionately to manage his own diabetes while educating others on how to do the same. Blogging Diabetes is full of interviews with well-known diabetes advocates and people involved with the Diabetes Online Community (DOC), basic diabetes information and terminology, and fantastic articles about which new diabetes products and resources are on the market and which supplements are the healthiest.
We asked Tony to talk about who he would consider to be his DHero, and he told us about Phil Southerland, retired professional cyclist, global diabetes advocate, and a champion with type 1 diabetes.
When I asked if Tony had met Phil, he admitted that he had not met him in person but he did have the opportunity to interview him for his podcast. Tony says he picked Phil because “He’s accomplished so much and blazed a path for kids who think that they may not be able to do professional sports because of diabetes.” Tony mentioned how Phil’s Race Across America, his books (for a great read, check out Phil’s Not Dead Yet), and his charitable activities have had a tremendous impact on the diabetes community.
Phil Southerland was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at seven months old, at that time the youngest person with type 1 on record. It’s been reported that he was not expected to live past the age of twenty-five. By age twenty-nine, Phil was a professional cyclist leading Team Type 1—a team of championship cyclists, many of whom had type 1 diabetes. As Tony says, “Phil’s team was the fastest to race across America on a bike. He has grown Team Type 1 from an idea into a full-blown passion that helps a lot of people across the world.”
Tony also mentioned that the most important lesson that he has learned from Phil is that “Someone with diabetes can do virtually anything that someone without diabetes can do. It’s not what can and can’t I do, but how can I do it while managing my diabetes safely.”
Check out Tony’s Blogging Diabetes podcasts here and also in the iTunes Store.
Listen to Tony’s interview of Phil Southerland here.
For more information on Phil Southerland and Team Type 1, click here.
Jessica Snyder joined the Spry Wellness Blog as a contributor in 2012. She is currently working to obtain an undergraduate degree in English and Communications at the University of Michigan.
Pingback: Blogging Diabetes - BDP 066 | My Dexcom G4 Review, Documentaries and New Books