I became involved with Breakthrough T1D because my brother,  Jason Smith, is a huge contributor. And rightly so because his son, Gavin, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. My first experience with Breakthrough T1D was when Jason asked if I would come to Atlanta and help him set up for the Breakthrough T1D One Walk he was volunteering at. I said yes, so we got up extremely early on a Saturday morning and went to Centennial Olympic Park to set up the walking route people would follow that day. That was a lot of fun, so I figured I would help with future endeavors. Unfortunately, after that I changed jobs and had a more demanding schedule, so I was not available to help for a while.

In the meantime, Jason got involved with the Breakthrough T1D Ride team. One day I needed a rental car, but didn’t want to bother anyone to give me a lift to get it. So, I drove the rental car home then proceeded to retrieve my car 11 miles away by bike. I do not know how long it had been since I had ridden a bike, but 11 miles on a mountain bike with a seat holding staples was only decent fun as I tiredly reached my car. I told Jason about my experience on the bike and he said that I should join him and the rest of the Breakthrough T1D Ride Team at the Amelia Island event in October. The rest is history! Now, my goal is to get in shape for 100 miles on that very same mountain bike, just with a brand new seat.

To learn more about why I’m riding, check out my Ride fundraising site here.