I had this idea on the way to work this morning, while listening to a radio piece about cross-country skier Kris Freeman. Let's create a list of athletes with diabetes who are competing in the Winter Olympics this year, and keep track of their progress!
So, there's Kris Freeman.... Anyone know of others who are competing in Sochi?
I've been doing some research on past Olympians with diabetes, and here are the folks I've found:
Gary Hall, Jr. Gold medalist in swimming in 1996, 2000 and 2004. Type 1 diabetes.
Kevin Hansen Men's Volleyball Team, 2008. Type 1 Diabetes.
About athletes competing in Sochi, I haven't heard of any others, but Matthias Steiner from Germany is also diabetic and won a gold medal at the olympics in Beijing 2008 in weightlifting…
Although it takes an exceptional amount of effort for anybody to make it to the Olympics, these Olympians with diabetes excel their fellow Olympians. These people - especially the gold medalists - shine above the rest! They’ve earned respect both by their achievements and by the effort they put into it.
I agree 100%, James! A person with diabetes has to work harder just to get through a normal day than someone with no health concerns, so the work that goes into becoming an Olympic athlete must be exponentially greater.
