Hey everyone!  My name is Scott Richard and today marks a new milestone in my life. I am officially a blogger.  I am a type I diabetic and have been this way for the last 22 years.  Like most of you who are reading this, keeping in tight control is what I attempt to do each and every day.  It is a battle, and not an easy one, that we all fight.  My wife and two kids are in the battle with me.  They are part of my “team”!  They offer support, guidance, empathy, but most of all they are there to help me win.  Winning; something I love to do.  I have a passion for winning and winners.  I guess that is what drives me to the world of sports.  I love the underdog, the Cinderella Story, the come from behind victory.  Beating your opponent when the odds are mounted against you is the ultimate story, and one people with diabetes can relate too.  Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral, The Miracle Mets, Boise State vs. Oklahoma, are all examples of the underdog beating the odds and coming out on top.

There is one athlete that I think about often who I not only admire, but pretend to be.  When I exercise, I do traditional cardio or weights, but sometimes I hop in the pool and swim.  Swimming is an awesome form of exercise.  It is easy on the body and great for your heart.  When I swim I pretend I am one of the greatest swimmers of all time.  I race in the pool against the best, but I don’t pretend it is me versus the world.  I pretend I am Gary Hall, Jr.

Gary Hall, Jr. is a three time Olympian Swimmer who has type I diabetes.  He was diagnosed in 1999 and told he was never going to be able to compete at a high level again.  He proved everyone wrong.  In the 2004 Athens Games, Gary was slated to race in the 50m Free defending his title from four years before in Sydney.  The 50 Free is a one length sprint.  It decides the fastest man in the pool, much like Track and Field’s 100m Dash.  He was 29 years old, an underdog.  He barely made the final and was racing in Lane 1.  For those who know swimming, Lane 1 is awful as you are up near the wall and the rest of the swimmer’s wake flow to your lane.  In essence, it is the slowest lane to be in.  It didn’t matter what lane Gary was in.  He flew off the blocks at the sound of the gun and beat out everyone in the pool.

Four years after being diagnosed with diabetes, Gary Hall, Jr. was once again an Olympic Champion.  Twenty-two years after being diagnosed with diabetes, I consider myself a Diabetic Champion.  Fighting this disease takes patience and lots of practice.  Just like athletes, practice makes perfect.