Park City, UT – Teens are learning how to shred down the mountain and balance blood sugars in a special empowerment program called Riding on Insulin, taking place Dec. 11 at Canyons in Park City. The day, led by Sean Busby, a 26-year-old professional snowboarder with type 1 diabetes, promotes courage and confidence and shows children with type 1 or type 2 they can overcome mental and physical challenges.n“Riding on Insulin is a place where kids can try a winter sport in a safe environment, share tips on managing their disease, and make new friends who are just like them,” Busby says. “I always find myself learning from the campers who come to my camps. It’s been the best medicine, aside from insulin, for managing my diabetes.”
After enduring a complicated diagnosis at age 19, Busby considered retiring from snowboarding. “I didn’t know if it would be possible to still snowboard at a high level and have type 1 diabetes,” he admits.
Fortunately, Busby found inspiration at Children’s Congress, an event organized by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). “I read stories of 5-, 8- and 13-year-old kids who’ve been living with type 1 diabetes all their lives,” he recounts. “I realized how fortunate I was to be able to live 19 years free of diabetes, and I was determined to give back to those kids — they inspired me to continue snowboarding.” Thus, Riding on Insulin was born.
Type 1 diabetes results from the body’s failure to produce insulin, the hormone that “unlocks” the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder, resulting from the body’s inability to make enough or properly use insulin. A growing number of children and adolescents are developing type 2 diabetes, a form of diabetes that is generally diagnosed among adults. Type 2 is now in epidemic proportion.
“Our goal is to show teens they don’t have to let anything, including their diabetes, stop them from pursuing their passions,” explained Aimee Greenholtz, founder of Kids Rock The World (KRTW) and member of the board of directors of the JDRF in Salt Lake City. “Sean is the perfect example, and at KRTW Presents Riding on Insulin, we are giving kids the tools they need to go after their dreams, showing they are not alone in the world.”
KRTW is a 501(c)(3) Utah non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of young teens with diabetes. KRTW focuses on promoting courage and confidence so kids don’t let diabetes stop them from living a life they love. Its last program was held at the National Ability Center May 15, 2010, in Park City, where 50 kids maneuvered through a ropes course, overcame challenges and learned to work together in teams, much like life with diabetes.
Fifty type 1 and type 2 kids ages 12-16 years, from the Salt Lake and Park City area, will be led through this one-day program by snowboard instructors trained in diabetes. A doctor will be at Riding on Insulin all day, and morning and afternoon snacks, as well as lunch will be served. Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The program costs $50, and kids can sign up at www.kidsrocktheworld.org.