I is for Inspiration

I’ve said it a lot lately, and I’ve been hearing it just as often; the word inspiration.

in·spi·ra·tion [in-spuh-rey-shuhn]
  –noun
  1. an inspiring or animating action or influence
  2. a result of inspired activity
  3. the act of inspiring; quality or state of being inspired

Ever since I started riding, I’ve found more and more people that are an inspiration to me. But the first person with diabetes that inspired me was actually a professor I had in college, Laurie. I had her as a professor the year I decided to take control of my diabetes instead of it controlling me. She was an excellent professor, but she’s also an excellent friend. She’s experienced things I’ve never had to experience, she’s able to help put things into perspective for me. When I’m pissed off about diabetes all I have to do is think about how back in the 70s she was boiling needles and then I can think to myself, “it’s really not all that bad”. She’s survived not being able to check her blood, and judging blood sugars based off of urine tests. She was diagnosed in 1970, and since she’s still alive, there’s really no reason I can’t live with this disease, she has. I’m glad that Laurie is in my life.

Laurie says: “I was fortunate to have Courtney as a student in one of my classes; she noticed my ever-present MedicAlert bracelet, my glucose tabs, and my juice box and she found the courage to bring up the subject of diabetes. As much as I may be an inspiration to Courtney, she is also an inspiration to me — as I see her blossom, despite the ever-present struggles, to care for herself and to help others along the way.”

When it comes to me staying in the game as far as getting out there and cycling, Mari is probably my biggest inspiration. Mari has had diabetes for 26 years. She’s also had breast cancer. She’s NED (no evidence of disease) for the cancer, sadly we can’t say the same for diabetes. But she’s out there riding in Tour de Cures, running in marathons, participating in triathlons, she’s just amazing. Along side Mari, I’ve got Nancy, who’s had diabetes for 9 years. This year Nancy is participating in a half ironman distance triathlon. Both of them are inspirations in me getting out there and participating in a triathlon.

I have the people that I can think of and all that they’re doing when I’m feeling down, the people that inspire me to keep going. But then, there’s the days where I’m an inspiration to people.

When I was in Nevada for the 2008 Las Vegas Tour de Cure I had a man come up to me. I didn’t know him, but he seemed to know who I was. He had seen my sponsorship page for the Tour and read about me riding in a Tour de Cure in every state. He came up to me (I believe his name was Balthazar, if you happen to read this, and I have your name wrong, please correct me, I’m so bad with names, sorry) and asked, are you the one riding in every state. And of course, I said yes, because I am. He told me how he had lost several family members to the complications of diabetes. He told me that what I’m doing is wonderful because it’s important that diabetics know that they can’t take care of themselves to the fullest extent if they’re not out there exercising. Exercise is a part of the key to diabetes care and in what I’m doing, he said that I’m an inspiration. He was a very friendly man to talk to and I’m glad that I can be an inspiration to him and to all the other riders whose paths I cross.