Charlie Kimball was born to race. His father, Gordon, is a world-renowned Formula One design engineer and was an Indy 500-winning car designer during the 1980s. Charlie started racing go-karts at the age of nine. \u00a0In 2003 he competed in the US Formula Ford 2000, winning four races andfinishing 3rd in the championship. \u00a0In 2004, Charlie moved to Europe where he competed in the British Formula 3, winning five races, setting two track records and finishing\u00a02nd in Championship. <\/strong>In 2006, Charlie was the first American ever to win a F3 Euroseries race. \u00a0And then in 2007 as his career was taking off, Charlie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes while competing in the European Renault World Series. The diagnosis prevented him from completing the season, but with the help of a team of diabetes specialists he returned to the race track in 2008.<\/p>\n Charlie returned to the US in 2009 to race in Firestone Indy Lights series, where he has been for the last two years.<\/p>\n You were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2007, shortly after you established a promising racing career.\u00a0 Did you believe this day would ever come? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I certainly hoped, wished and dreamed for it.\u00a0 It took a lot of hard work.\u00a0 After the diagnosis I was afraid I wouldn\u2019t get back in a car at all, let alone at the top level and in one as powerful as an IZOD Indy Car.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lot of hard work ahead\u2013 more to learn and a lot of challenges that I have yet to face, but now that I\u2019m here, I\u2019m ready to make the most of it.<\/p>\n Has diabetes changed you as a person or as an athlete?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It definitely has.\u00a0 It\u2019s a big part of who I am.\u00a0 In all honesty, I\u2019m a better athlete because of my diabetes rather than despite it because I\u2019m more aware of my body and proactive about my health.\u00a0 I\u2019m more focused on making sure \u2013 physically \u2013 that I\u2019m ready to compete (at over 200 mph).<\/p>\n Diabetes has given me the impetus to focus.\u00a0 I feel strongly about giving back to the diabetes community because of the support I was given when first diagnosed, through email and personal contacts.<\/p>\n Can you tell us about your partnership with Novo Nordisk?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n My partnership with Novo Nordisk means \u2013 pardon the pun \u2013 I\u2019ve got a great vehicle for my story and I can reach out and prove to people that diabetes doesn\u2019t have to slow you down.<\/p>\n Sometimes, as an ordinary driver, I worry about my blood sugar levels.\u00a0 Do you have these fears?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Some calculated preparation makes me feel better.\u00a0 From the minute I get up in the morning until I get in the car, I\u2019m following my blood sugar levels.\u00a0 I take Levemir and NovoLog.\u00a0 I eat protein, carbs, and fat \u2013 everything my \u201cdream team\u201d also known as \u201cCharlie\u2019s Angels\u201d (my endocrinologist, Dr. Peters, diabetes educator and nutritionist) and I have worked out, so that when I get in the car, I\u2019m ready to go.<\/p>\n When I\u2019m in the race car, I\u2019ve got a couple of tools.\u00a0 I wear a continuous glucose monitor velcroed to the steering wheel\u00a0so I can check my blood sugar just like I check speed, water temperature, or oil pressure.\u00a0 If my blood sugar is falling more quickly than I\u2019d like, I have a \u201cdrinks tube\u201d inside my helmet filled with orange juice.\u00a0 It allows me to take a sip of OJ and bring my blood glucose up without having to stop.<\/p>\n How high do you keep your blood sugar before a race<\/em><\/strong>?<\/strong><\/p>\n I like to start a race between 180-200 with the idea that it will burn down to 120-130.\u00a0 I start a little bit high so I have a safety net.\u00a0 When I get out of the car, I can start replenishing my muscle stores and the glycogen stores and recovering from the event.<\/p>\n There are some race tracks that are easier than others and in those races I might start at 180 and finish at 170.\u00a0 Some are more physically demanding so I\u2019ll start at 200 and finish at 120.\u00a0 There\u2019s a range and it depends on the type of track, on the day, and also on how the race develops.\u00a0 When I\u2019m in a tighter battle or closer to the front of the pack, there are definite changes in my blood sugar.\u00a0 If I have a really close battle, sugar tends to burn off a little bit more.<\/p>\n Do you use an insulin pump?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I use the Levemir FlexPen and the NovoPen Junior for my NovoLog.\u00a0 I use the NovoPen Junior so I can get half units, which gives me an additional level of accuracy.<\/p>\n My doctor and I considered the pump, but my doctor said, you\u2019ve got good control with the pen and your HbA1c is where I want it to be, so unless there\u2019s a good reason to switch to the pump, let\u2019s stay with the pen.<\/em> When we talked about the pump she said we\u2019d have to keep it outside of my race suit because she was concerned about the temperature beneath the suit, and that the insulin might lose its effectiveness.\u00a0 Also, it wouldn\u2019t be fireproof.\u00a0 Using a pump turned out to be more complicated than we\u2019d originally thought, and it wasn\u2019t something that I needed in order to compete and be successful.<\/p>\n Your father designs Formula One race cars in Europe, but he came home to support you.\u00a0 How has that helped you?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I grew up watching racing.\u00a0 Not only has my father had success engineering race cars in Formula 1, he also co-designed a couple of the Indianapolis 500 winners in the early 80s.\u00a0 My father has always been a part of my racing.\u00a0 He is still my manager.\u00a0 He\u2019s been my mentor.\u00a0 His support, and my mom\u2019s, and my older sister\u2019s has led to today and they\u2019re at the top of the list of people I want to thank.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t be here today in this position without their help.<\/p>\n Have you had any scary diabetes-related moments while driving, or does it not happen because you\u2019re so prepared?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t happened, and I\u2019ll say \u201cyet\u201d and knock on wood.\u00a0 But if it did, I do feel prepared to deal with it, to deal with anything that came up.\u00a0 I have the tools.\u00a0 I have the information from my health care team and from my race team on how to address situations if they arrive.\u00a0 So it hasn\u2019t happened, but I\u2019m prepared if and when it does.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your message to others living with diabetes, and especially to children with diabetes?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m living proof that diabetes doesn\u2019t have to slow you down.\u00a0 Just because you have diabetes doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t do almost anything in life.\u00a0 With good management, good routine, and good discipline, you can really chase your dreams.\u00a0 For me, today shows you can not only chase your dream, you can reach it and enjoy the success of it.<\/p>\n Here is a short film on Charlie Kimball from 2009:<\/p>\n [youtube]http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FyhsKPEpQeE&feature=player_embedded[\/youtube]\n Photo of Charlie Kimball on car by Mike Levitt\/LAT USA.<\/em><\/p>\n Photo of Charlie Kimball in helmet by Paul Webb<\/em>\/LAT USA<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m a better athlete because of my diabetes rather than despite it. I\u2019m more aware of my body and proactive about my health…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":33168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1434],"tags":[1014],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/CK-with-helmet1.jpg\" "\\"CK")
<\/a>I had the great opportunity to speak with Charlie Kimball<\/a> following an announcement made last week by Novo Nordisk and Chip Ganassi RacingTeams regarding the creation of the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team for\u00a0the 2011 IZOD IndyCar season, and the sponsorship of Charlie Kimball in the series. For those who aren\u2019t familiar with IndyCar racing, the IZOD IndyCar Series<\/a> is the premier level of American open wheel racing.<\/p>\n