Ironmen and
Triabetes Area athletes deliver message of hope
By Cara Kelly
Three athletes from Boone recently completed one of the
most important events in their lives, the Ironman Wisconsin race,
and have consequently become sources of infinite inspiration to
diabetics across the country.
John Moore, Steve Ahn and Dave Shack, all juvenile type-1 diabetic
patients, finished what is known by many athletes as one of the
world’s most extreme tests of physical endurance with healthy
blood sugar levels.
Boone resident and diabetic
Steve Ahn finishing the last leg of the Ironman Wisconsin
race, which included of a full marathon. Photo
submitted
The three Boone residents joined nine other diabetics in Wisconsin
for the race held Sunday, Sept. 7, that will be the climax of
a documentary for the Discovery Channel by Emmy Award winning
Andiamo Production.
“[The documentary] was originally more like a dream, but
then all the pieces fell right together and everything just kept
rolling,” Ahn said.
The film, which producers hope will serve as a message of hope
and increased knowledge for millions of people suffering from
diabetes, was conceived by executive producer Michelle Alswager,
who has a child with juvenile diabetes and also serves as the
executive director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Alswager previously completed an Ironman, and after a short period
of searching, found producers who were also diabetics, Ray Ibsen
and Nella Citino with Andiamo.
“The idea was to show that although we were all told when
we were younger to take it easy, it turns out that is kind of
the wrong advice, exercise is actually a management tool,”
Ahn said. “It was an early thinking that anything that might
lead to low blood sugar should be avoided.”
Ahn and Shack said they wanted to prove that not only was intense
exercise entirely possible for diabetic athletes, it is even good
for their health.
“I have never been in this good of control,” Ahn said.
Yet, concrete research on the effects of intense exercise on diabetics
has been limited. The triabetes team set out to increase the wealth
of research and knowledge on the effects of exercise on blood
glucose.
Under the careful watch of a world-class medical support team
and prominent academic consultants using cutting-edge biotechnology,
bio-data was monitored throughout the extensive, year-long training
and during the race itself.
After the triathlon, Ahn and Shack had their hemoglobin A1c tested,
which serves as a long-term look at diabetes care, and for the
first time since their childhood, both had results equaling a
normal level.
“It was the first time in 25 years that I had a normal hemoglobin
reading,” Ahn said.
John Moore was the first contacted by Alswager more than a year
ago and subsequently recruited Ahn. Shack came into the equation
after succeeding Ahn’s position as a science teacher at Valley
Crucis School. During a teacher’s meeting, Ahn discovered
Shackand was a fellow diabetic and suggested entering the race.
“I immediately said ‘Dude, I’m in’,”
Shack said. “I should have completed the sentence with ‘over
my head.’”
A self-professed couch potato for many years, Shack had the most
challenging training, which began a full year before the race.
“It was one of the best things that ever happened to me,
I wasn’t taking of myself at all until now,” Shack said.
“I went from sitting on the couch to doing eight hour work
outs.”
The athletes trained together with three, eight-hour workouts
a week, one day of rest and three more moderate workouts in between.
“Knowing that I can work out that intensely and manage my
health is incredible,” Shack said. “My blood sugar slowed
me down only a minute or two on the whole 16 hour day.”
The 2.4-mile swim proved to be the most challenging aspect of
the day for Shack, who said it was a little nerve racking being
unable to test blood sugar levels.
Nevertheless, Shack finished the 112 mile bike ride in seven hours,
a relatively fast pace to the inexperienced triathlete, and crossed
the finish line after the 26-mile marathon, nearly crawling on
his tip toes but a full 45 minutes before the race ended.
Shack said the experience was a bit excruciating at times, especially
after massive blisters emerged on the entirety of his heels, but
the accomplishment was like nothing he’d ever experienced
before.
“It totally changed my perspective on health and life,”
Shack said.
Both athletes say they will continue to train and compete in various
races in the future, saying the experience was well worth any
physical pain.
“I hated running, I never would have done anything like this
but I would do it for diabetes. I thought it would be a sacrifice
but it has really added years to our lives,” Ahn said.
To learn more about the Triabetes project or to read the personal
accounts of the athletes, visit www.triabetes.org.
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