More Stories From The Race Across America

The stories just keep coming about Team Type 1 and Team Type 2's performances at the Race Across America (RAAM). Here are a few of headlines surrounding the squads' stellar accomplishments:

Lancaster (Ohio) Eagle Gazette:
Brooks joins Team Type 1, takes part in Race Across America

Matt Brooks essentially picked the lesser of two evils. When the Pickerington native decided to hang up his soccer cleats more than four years ago, he chose competitive cycling over swimming in order to stay active.

That Brooks needed to stay fit was a given. He was diagnosed as a child with Type I diabetes. He just wasn't sure how cycling would work out.

"I started thinking 'I'm not that great of a swimmer so I'll try cycling,' " Brooks said.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Lowell (N.H.) Sun:
Pedal to the Mettle: Mark Suprenant and teammates
overcome stifling heat, bitter cold -- and diabetes --
to capture cross-country cycling race

It's called the race of truth.

More than 3,000 miles, across 14 states. Through the oven-blast heat of the Mojave Desert and the bone-numbing chill of Colorado's mountains.

As he pushed through the Race Across America -- one of the world's most challenging transcontinental bicycle races -- Mark Suprenant had more than a time trial to contend with. The 44-year-old father of two had to constantly monitor his blood-sugar levels.

A Type 1 diabetic, Suprenant proved last month that neither the road nor his disease could slow Team Type 1, which shattered records in the grueling annual race. The eight-member team, all diabetics, finished the course in five days, nine hours and five minutes, breaking the ultra marathon record

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Zanesville (Ohio) Times Recorder:
Local woman volunteers at race;
Helps take care of racing team promoting diabetes awareness

Karen Scheerer is used to doing laundry, cooking and cleaning for her family.

It wasn't until she was actually on the road in an RV, traveling across the U.S., that she realized taking care of a team of eight bicyclists proved to be a little more difficult than her normal daily chores at home.

For one week in June she helped take care of the Team Type 1 Elite/RAAM team, a bicycle racing team that came together to promote diabetes awareness, as they competed in Race Across America.

As a volunteer, she did the team's laundry, cooked, cleaned, ran errands, played navigator across the U.S. and took pictures along the way.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Hargrave Rides With Team Type 1 Regional Team

Five of the eight people on Thursday's ride had Type 1 diabetes.
Omaha, Neb. – Members of Team Type 1's inaugural regional squad got a special treat Thursday night when a rider from the men's professional team joined them on their weekly training ride.

Timothy Hargrave is in Omaha, Neb., to participate in the Omaha Cycling Weekend. Team Type 1 Regional Team Director Craig Harding organized Thursday's 30-mile ride, which made its way through parts of southwest Omaha and Papillion, close to where Saturday night's twilight criterium will take place. Hargrave will be signing autographs from 6-7 p.m., prior to the start of the Pro-I-II race at 8.

In addition to his ride with the team, Hargrave spent much of Friday making appearances at a number of local hospitals, visiting with people affected by diabetes. Sponsor representatives Loralee Coulter and Janelle Bentley accompanied him to Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center and the Nebraska Medical Center and its new Diabetes Center.

Hargrave will take part in all three races of the Omaha Cycling Weekend, which begins with an individual time trial Saturday at Mount Michael Benedictine High School in Elkhorn, Neb.

Here is a recap of his visit, so far, in pictures:

Hargrave led Thursday's 30-mile training ride...

...which included a stop to check blood sugars.

His OmniPod PDM shows it was 149 halfway through the ride.

Team Kenda Midwest Regional Team racer Megan McLaughlin
made the drive from Lincoln to ride with Hargrave.

Loralee Coulter (left) and Janelle Bentley (right) accompanied
Hargrave to a number of Omaha-area hospitals on Friday...

...where he met people like three-year-old Jayden,
who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on Thursday.

He also did a pair of radio interviews, including this one on
"Unsportsmanlike Conduct" with Kevin Kugler (left)
and Mike'l Severe (right) Friday afternoon on KOZN.

Related links:
Omaha World-Herald newspaper: "Diabetes No Block For Hargrave"
Nebraska Cycling News: "Previewing The Pros"
Omaha Cycling Weekend: Race registration and details

Having Fun With Team Type 1 At The Friends for Life Conference and Expo

Can you figure out who the "winning" cyclist is
with Phil Southerland (right) and Kyle Rose (left)?
Lake Buena Vista, Florida – Spirits are high and the mood is light for Team Type 1 at the 10th edition of the Friends for Life Conference and Expo.

The five-day conference opened Tuesday at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with the gathering of world-renowned clinicians, researchers, physicians, adults, children, and families with diabetes. Each day, members of Team Type 1 are representing sponsors and connecting with families to spread the message that having Type 1 diabetes doesn't mean you can't live a normal lifestyle and achieve great things.

Team Type 1 co-founders Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge are two of several special guests at the conference. Last year, more than 3,000 people participated in this conference.

Bowden Honored By South Carolina TV Station

Team Type 1's Alex Bowden earns "Athlete of the Week"
honors from CN2 News (TV) in Rock Hill, S.C.

Bowden, Hargrave Making Public Appearances

Shelby, N.C. – Alex Bowden is appearing this afternoon at The Diabetes Center at Cleveland Regional Medical Center in Shelby, N.C., to talk about his experiences in the Race Across America (RAAM) and as a member of Team Type 1.

"We are thrilled to host Alex Bowden," said Gudrun Novak, Diabetes Center coordinator. "His drive and competitive spirit is an inspiration to everyone, not just those people who live with diabetes."

The youngest member of Team Type 1 in 2008, Bowden is now an experienced competitor.

"I'm excited about where the team is going," Bowden said, "and the fact that we all have Type 1 diabetes and we're all on this mission together."

Bowden juggles college classes, competing on Team Type 1, and managing his diabetes. His current goals include making the move into the professional ranks of bicycle racing. Bowden's career highlights include this year's victory in RAAM in record time and the American Bicycle Racing National Championship in 2006.

– – –

Omaha, Neb. – An important message of inspiration and motivation will be shared with kids at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., on Friday when Team Type 1's Tim Hargrave pays a visit.

Hargrave, a native of New Zealand, is living proof that you can achieve your dreams, even when living with a chronic illness. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of six and started running to help control his blood sugar. Today, he competes in cycling events around the world as one of 16 professional cyclists on Team Type 1.

“Team Type 1 means doing what I love – riding and racing my bike – with other cyclists with diabetes who share that common bond,” Hargrave said.

He is in Omaha for the Omaha Cycling Weekend. Friday’s visit runs from 10-11 a.m., during which time Hargrave will greet patients and families in their hospital rooms.

Fitchburg Longsjo Classic: Powers Runner-Up Overall, McRae On Podium Again

Powers (third from left) was afforded protection by teammates
throughout Sunday's Workers’ Credit Union Downtown Criterium.
Photos by Mark Suprenant.
Fitchburg, Mass. – Team Type 1’s Alison Powers earned her fourth top-three finish at a National Racing Calendar (NRC) stage race Sunday while Jen McRae placed runner-up on a stage for the second time at the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic.

Powers finished 20 seconds behind overall winner Evelyn Stevens (Team Lip Smackers) following Sunday’s Workers’ Credit Union Downtown Criterium. McRae was second to Tina Pic (Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) in the 25-mile (40 km) race that was comprised of 28 laps of a hot dog-shaped course in Fitchburg, Mass.

While Powers did earn her team-leading 18th podium place of the season, the U.S. national time trial champion said she was a little bit disappointed she didn’t win the race overall.

“I definitely wanted to win, but you can’t win every race and I did take a break after the Nature Valley Grand Prix,” Powers said. “Every day of this race, I felt like my fitness was getting better and better, so I’m right on track for nationals at the end of the month.”

McRae said the strategy Sunday was to preserve – or improve – Powers’ place in the overall standings, while also aiming for the stage win.

“I wanted to use the last corner to get the gap and then try and hug the inside line all the way to the finish,” McRae said. “Unfortunately, Tina came by me right at the line. All in all, this was a good race for us and we had a break through with our criterium racing. We finally clicked. That’s key going into criterium nationals next month.”

In the men’s race, Team Type 1’s Michael Creed finished fifth overall and teammate Darren Lill was sixth as Sunday’s criterium created a shake-up in the final standings. Zach Bell (Kelly Benefit Strategies) overtook Tom Zirbel (Bissell Pro Cycling), who had been leading the four-day, four-stage race from the start.

Creed finished fifth on the final stage to wind up 20 seconds behind Bell, while Lill was 33 seconds back in the final overall standings. Matt Wilson (in fourth) scored Team Type 1’s best placing in Sunday’s 50-mile (80 km) criterium.

Wilson (left) takes a corner during Sunday's criterium.