What an honor it was to chat with Charlie Kimball about IndyCar Racing and T1D!
I recently had the honor and opportunity to do an interview the driver of this year’s AJ Foyt #4 Novo Nordisk Tresiba car, Charlie Kimball. Charlie Kimball is the first licensed driver with diabetes to win a race in the NTT IndyCar Series. If you know me, you know I was an IndyCar fan before my own T1D diagnosis. I woke up from DKA and thought, “Whoa, they’re using insulin to to lower my blood sugars? I hope they gave me Novolog, because that’s what Charlie Kimball uses!” And now we’re doing an interview together. I’m totally fan girling over here!
Please watch our interview above and please be sure to catch the Genesys 300 from the Texas Motor Speedway live on NBC on Saturday, 8:00pm Eastern! It’ll be such a rush! I look forward to seeing that giant screen one day!
Thank you to Charlie Kimball for taking the time to speak with us at Cut the BS…I Mean Blood Sugar! I had a blast doing this interview so let me know in the comments below who we should invite next!
Conor Daly and Cut The B.S. Girl, Arlene at ISM Raceway April 2018
Lately, I’ve been listening to a Podcast by two Indycar Drivers, James Hinchcliffe and Alexander Rossi called “Off Track with Hinch and Rossi.” On that podcast, they occasionally have a segment called, “What Grinds My Gears,” where they talk about pet peeves or what sets them off. I woke up today reading a story and as I read it, I found that it really…grinded…my gears. Anyhow, here’s the story:
Lilly Diabetes, has pulled sponsorship of Conor Daly, a racecar driver, living, driving, and thriving with T1D, because of a potential racial slur his dad, Derek Daly, made before Conor was even born. If that isn’t the largest load of crap ever.
“Unfortunately, the comments that surfaced this week by Derek Daly distract from this focus, so we have made the decision that Lilly Diabetes will no longer run the No. 6 at Road America this weekend.”
What grinds my gears here is the fact that Conor, who is working to be quite the advocate of self care with diabetes (Type 1 or 2), has lost sponsorship dollars as a result of something he had no control over. It would have been one thing if he lost his sponsorship because the kid decided not to work out and decided to eat junk food in preparation of this NASCAR Xfinity Road America race, but that is just not the case. It’s even documented in this video.
They call themselves company that is focused on raising awareness for treatment options and resources for people living with diabetes. To me, it seems that this action of pulling Conor’s sponsorship is a bigger distraction to both the racing and diabetes communities. The kid has done nothing wrong to lose said sponsorship.
If we all lost something that could affect our livelihoods as a result of something our parents said or did, well, we just would not progress as a society. It’s bullshit.
In addition, its pretty ironic that Lilly Diabetes would be so unforgiving considering the product they sell to us people with diabetes and parents of children with diabetes, insulin, is a product that aids us in forgiving the number we see on the meter, correcting immediately with said insulin, and then getting back on track with our lives. We as people with diabetes can’t even boycott, because our insurance dictates which insulin to use, regardless of what we discuss is best with our doctors.
I was so excited to watch Conor too as I haven’t even looked at NASCAR in years, despite Ryan Reed also being a driver with Diabetes. I’m still gonna watch Conor this weekend but just with a tinge of irritation for Lilly.
I’ve been following Indycar and it’s drivers, since my then boyfriend, now husband, took me to a qualifying day at the Long Beach Gran Prix in 2003, and subsequently, we got engaged after that race. I was a fan of Charlie Kimball, another Indycar driver with T1D, when he was in Indy Lights even before I was diagnosed with Diabetes myself in 2012.
Good luck this weekend, Conor! Good vibes, back on track, keep driving, and get on that podium!
I felt particularly anxious yesterday and could not quite put my pricked finger on why. I even tossed and turned until 2:00am before falling asleep and didnt’ know why. It wasn’t until this morning when I realized the date: June 28th. It’s my Diaversary, meaning it has been 4 years since I woke up in a hospital bed and was asked, “How long have you known you had diabetes?”
For months, I was trying to figure out how I was going to celebrate this day. Life then took over and I shifted my party plans. I thought I would still want to party it up despite the fact that this day snuck up on me. It was surprisingly somber for me, though. Remembering this day 4 years ago took me to a dark, sad, and hopeless place. I seemed to have been brought back to a place that I have fought so hard to keep behind me.
That’s when I reached out to my dia-buddies via text message. Of-course, I true Dia-badass fashion they came through for me. I received virtual hugs, words of encouragement, and suggestions of our now traditional test strip shot. Need a visual? Here you go:
After dinner, my husband took the girls swimming and as I watched my beautiful family happily jumping into the pool, my eyes welled up with tears. “I’m so happy I’m here!!!” I thought to myself. “I’m delighted I get to watch this and be a part of this, all of this!” All the reasons why today is a day to celebrate came to me all at once.
I get to watch my girls continue to grow into the intelligent, creative, enterprising, and fun young women they are.
I get to continue to plan trips and plan a kick ass future with my husband, best friend, and hero.
I get to participate in research studies that help diabetes medicine and technologies move forward.
I still get to help others with Diabetes or Pre-diabetes by way of this blog, Team Cut the BS’s fundraising efforts, and just by being me.
I get to watch more Indycar Races and cheer for Charlie and Conor, so that children with diabetes can follow in their sweet and fast footsteps.
And I get the opportunity to experience much, much more!!!
With a new outlook on today, I took my friends up on their suggestions and poured myself a shot for all the insulin shots I’ve taken since June 28, 2012 (A loosely estimated 5,840 shots, probably more.) Happy Diaversary to me. Cheers.
I know, the 500 was on Sunday, and what a great race it was! I was working on this post prior to and during the 500 and so I’ll post it now.
Not sure if you guys saw this, but I accidentally came across this story when one of my friends posted that her name will be featured on Charlie Kimball’s Tresiba car for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The story talks about how Charlie would be running the 42 of Kyle Larson, a driver for Chip Ganassi in NASCAR. The 42 signifies the 42 hours that Tresiba can last in your system after first use and so they will honor 42 leaders in the diabetes community by having them ride with him on that day.The more imprtant part of this photo was not the back end where Charlie and Kyle are, but closer to the front wheels.
As I looked into the story further, I found more names of People with Diabetes that I have met in my relatively short tenure of having diabetes. Needless to say, I was excited and really confirms why I am such a fan of both Charlie Kimball and Novo Nordisk.
The 42 names that adorned the side fin’s of Charlie’s Indycar include not only people with Diabetes, but organizations and people without diabetes who work tirelessly for our community.
Isn’t that just a sexy car???I’ve actually met some of these people!!!
I then began to think of my own heroes in Diabetes. The cool part is, some of the people on our lists are the same! For the sake of Charlie’s Temporary Number Change for the 100th running of the Indy 500, here is my list of 42 heroes in my life with Diabetes:
Ryan
Elan
Ella
Arturo
Liwayway
Charlie
JDRF
The Diabetes Unconference
Kimberly
Tony
Cynthia
Chris
Adriana
Ali
Mike
Stephen
Palm Medical Group
Palm Research Center
Serena
Samer
Danielle
Sara
Alecia
Heather
ADA
Kathleen
The Diabetes Collective
Christel
Diabetes Hands Foundation
Kerri
Karen
Anni
Team Happy
Sonia
Marcy
Norman
Mary
Novo Nordisk
Susan
Kathy
Dexcom
Team Cut The BS…I mean Blood Sugar.
Wow, I feel fortunate to have been able to come up with these names as quickly as I could. Honestly, I could have probably kept naming people until I reached Charlie’s actual racing number (#83.). Everyday, I am thankful for these heroes. Whether these leaders have diabetes or not, these people/organizations encourage and inspire me to become my best self…a self with diabetes.
Playing with Hot Wheels after the 500 has become a thing for our family!
Who would be the names on your side fins? Please share your heroes with us!
If you read my post a couple weeks back, you’d know I thought Charlie Kimball’s #83 Novo Nordisk Indycar was painted a lot like Novo Nordisk’s new long-acting basal insulin, Tresiba. Again, I’ve heard great things about this basal insulin in that it helps keep the BS closer to a heathy range with less occurence of hypoglycemia, or what we call, lows.
Today, my husband brought to my attention that Racer Magazine posted an article about Charlie’s new paint scheme that is to be debuted at the Phoenix Gran Prix this weekend:
And Boom! It’s Tresiba all over that #83 Novo Nordisk car and your Cut the BS Girl called it over two weeks ago! What a rush!
Charlie Kimball says,
“The new look of this car represents something very personal to me. Just as there have been advancements in racing, there have been advancements in the management of diabetes. The new look of my 2016 car represents another strong link between this program and the diabetes community…I am excited about the new design, not only because of the new look, but also because it represents the next phase in my effort to educate others.”
Clearly, I am excited and it represents something very personal to us too, Charlie.
Race On! Race with Insulin!
Watch Charlie and the #83 Tresiba car advocate for diabetes management on track as he takes the green flag on Saturday, April 2nd on NBCSN!
In anticipation of the 2016 Indycar Season, my husband and I have been watching and following our favorite drivers. One of my favorite drivers and PWD, Charlie Kimball, has been spotted with a new color scheme during practices and testing the last few weeks in Sonoma, Phoenix, and now St. Petersberg. Here are a few shots: Tell me that’s not a good looking car. (Photo:Indycar Series)
Looks good right, but there’s no more blue and orange. He’s still got Novo Nordisk sponsorship on the car, though. Now it’s got me thinking. Is it me or does this color scheme look very similar to a newly released long acting insulin that I happen to hear amazing things about? Amazing as in the potential to only have to take it every other day and a reduction in night time lows. You tell me:
Tresiba® looks alot like Charlie’s 2016 Indycar to me. (Photo: NovoNordisk)
Wouldn’t it be cool to see a big ol’ Tresiba FlexTouch® on the sidepod of that Indycar? I’d also love to see a ginormous Tresiba® Lollypop at thier pit box so Charlie knows where to stop!
Watch Charlie this Sunday March 13th on ABC! I know I will!
Cut the B.S. 