Saturday more than 1,400 cyclists will take part in Tour de Cure, a national fundraising event to benefit the American Diabetes Association. The event supports the Association's movement to Stop Diabetes by promoting good health through exercise. This is a timely event as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revealed the number of cases of diabetes and pre-diabetes among Americans of all ages and ethnicities continues to increase.
The American Diabetes Association's mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes is brought to the forefront at Tour de Cure. Red Riders (those participating that live with diabetes) often inspire others by telling their “Why I Ride” story.
Rachel Long, 28 from Indianapolis, has been living with diabetes since she was a teen. This is Long's first Tour de Cure, she has added the training to her already busy and healthy life style as she recently completed her first triathlon and looks to complete two half marathons this year.
Long uses insulin pens and has embraced healthy eating and exercise to take care of herself. She often combines riding her bike and running with friends to make it more of a social event. Long shared, “I hope people see how healthy they can actually be. I am so proud to be living with diabetes and share that this disease doesn't have to stop me from being so active!”
Boris Lushniak, MD, MPH, Acting Surgeon General, stated “The major public health problem in this country is physical inactivity.” The Association encourages everyone who owns a bike to come out ride and get active.
Cyclists from around the region will gather at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and choose from one of four routes to participate in the event, a family-friendly Recreational Track Ride, a 100-mile Track Challenge, and 50K and 75K Road Rides. They will join more than 65,000 other cyclists and volunteers from across the country. Individuals and teams composed of co-workers, family and friends are taking the ride of their life by helping raise funds for the nearly 26 million Americans with diabetes. Tour de Cure is designed for anyone from the occasional to the experienced cyclist with routes from 2.5-mile family rides to 100-mile century rides. The route will feature rest stops with food to fuel the journey and volunteers to cheer riders on.
The Tour de Cure raises funds through registration fees and pledges collected by the cyclists. To register, cyclists or volunteers can call the American Diabetes Association 317-352-9226 or visit www.diabetes.org/indytour.