Racing to the Finish Line with Ironman Triathlete Jay Hewitt

Special Guest Speaker Jay Hewitt, an Ironman triathlete who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1991, capped Thursday night’s sessions with a personal account of living with diabetes. Mr Hewitt provided important insight into the importance of appropriate diabetes management.

Mr Hewitt suggests that if an Ironman can properly manage his or her blood glucose levels, anyone with diabetes can live a normal and fulfilling life. The race includes a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run.

“I speak around the country and meet with people—the questions that I get asked the most are usually how do I stay motivated to do something like this, and how do I manage my diabetes to do something like this?” says Mr Hewitt. “Because I think probably many of you are thinking, if I could just get my patients or my—the people that I am interested in—with diabetes to just do their normal life and manage it with diabetes, then you feel like that would be a victory.”