Diabetes. A word increasingly familiar in 21st-century society. A chronic metabolic condition that results in elevated levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood, either due to the inability of our body (specifically the pancreas) to produce insulin on its own (type 1 diabetes) or due to the resistance developed by our body’s cells to insulin (type 2 diabetes). With this inability, our cells are unable to receive the fuel for energy production.
Currently, it is estimated that over 500 million people worldwide live with this condition. Among them is a group of 18 people united by a passion, a talent, and a mission: to educate, empower, and inspire all people living with diabetes to pursue their dreams. These are the cyclists of Team Novo Nordisk, the first professional cycling team in which all members live with diabetes.
One of these people is Logan Phippen. With a life connected to sports, it was only in 2016 that Logan was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, just weeks after turning 24. Without losing hope, he wanted to prove to himself and the world that it is possible to fulfill a dream, even when everything seems to hinder it.
On the sidelines of the Portuguese premiere of the documentary “Ride for Your L1fe”, which follows the day-to-day life of Team Novo Nordisk during the 2021 season, we had a conversation with Logan about the fears of diagnosis, the challenges of being a professional cyclist with diabetes, his role as an ambassador for this cause… and also about Portuguese cycling. An interview that is as unmissable as it is inspiring.
Page 2 – From youth to diagnosis
Page 3 – Diabetes and cycling: it is possible to coexist with both
Page 4 – The use of glucose monitors in races: the perspective of those who use them
Page 5 – The goals and dreams of Logan Phippen