Mike Carter - I Am Not Alone in This Fight

Mike Carter - I Am Not Alone in This Fight

Everyone living with diabetes has their date, you know, that date. I will not start my story with that date, rather another date. On August 25th 2007, my life was changed forever by the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure and here is how that happened.

I had been a cyclist my entire life. I did my first major bicycle tour when I was a teenager. I sold my first car to buy a new bike before I went to college and would ride up a local mountain every morning before class and bike camp on the weekends. My wife and I might have had a bike touring honeymoon but we got married in January and bike touring in January in Colorado is not the greatest idea. I bike commuted to work almost every day for ten years and mountain biked on weekends.

Then I started getting sick and was diagnosed on June 6, 2001, yes that date, with type 1 diabetes. I do not think I rode 500 miles total in the first five years after my diagnosis, mostly due to fear of blood glucose lows while riding and peripheral neuropathy.

During those years, I contributed money to the American Diabetes Association and occasionally used their resources. In 2005, I attended my first Diabetes EXPO in Denver and was inspired by the outreach to everyone in the diabetes community.

In 2007, I again attended the Diabetes EXPO and was motivated by a Tour de Cure promotion where cyclists with diabetes were riding on trainer bikes. I picked up a brochure and decided the Tour de Cure would be my way of getting something back that had always been a part of my life before diabetes.

My original goal was to "simply" ride the 100 mile route. I didn't care how much money I raised. I didn't care about awareness or recognition. I just wanted to ride. Then reality hit hard --- I was not 20 or 30 years old any longer. I had a lot of internal issues to resolve about long duration exercise and type 1. A little soul searching later, I adjusted my priorities and decided that I could do more for the cure and the diabetes community than just attempt a long bike ride.

I formed a "friends and family" Tour team, changed my focus to fundraising and we raised $6,000 in about a month. I certainly am not saying that my team fundraising effort was easy! I edited, re-edited, and re-re-edited my solicitation letters and then would agonize as I waited for donations to come in and even cried on occasion when a thoughtful donor would include a note of encouragement. The realization that there were so many people willing to help my new found cause was beyond my comprehension.

Tour day just fixed it in stone. I had friends and family members unexpectedly show up just to visit our team tent and cheer everyone on. I met many people thriving with diabetes and was inspired by the participants and all of the volunteers.

One thing, one very special thing, stood out and changed my life on August 25, 2007 – the Red Rider recognition program. Red Riders are Tour de Cure participants with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who are recognized for the courage it takes to thrive with diabetes. This includes a special red cycling jersey presented to them. We cheered for folks wearing Red Rider jerseys when they passed us or we passed them on the route. Dozens of folks cheered for me wearing my own Red Rider jersey during the ride. I was truly overwhelmed by being a part of something so much larger than myself. I came home from Tour with one simple but very important statement, "I am not alone in this fight!"

Mike has participated in Tour de Cure for three years, and has volunteered on the Colorado Tour de Cure committee for two years. He is currently the Colorado Red Riders committee chair and one of three captains of the Colorado Tour Team Red.