I’m a 2015 Medtronic Global Hero!
My diagnosis didn’t end my run!
Today, it was publicly announced that I am a 2015 Medtronic Global Hero (see Press Release). I’ll be one of twenty-five long-distance runners who benefit from medical technology and will be honored when we run as a team in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, October 4, 2015. I’m proud to be part of the team and run alongside runners from six continents and 16 different countries: Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and Zambia. Each of us has a medical device to treat conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, spinal disorders, chronic pain or neurological disorders.
How it all began
I learned about the Medtronic Global Hero opportunity a few months ago. I had just finished a speaking to a group in Iowa about my life with Type 1 Diabetes and how research has allowed me to live with good health and a bright future. A lady in the audience spoke with me after my presentation and thanked me for my courage to share. She mentioned I should look into the Medtronic Global Hero opportunity because I wear an insulin pump to help me manage my diabetes and I love to run and take part in various fitness activities.
That afternoon, I was waiting to board my flight back to Nashville and I decided to find out more about what a Medtronic Global Hero was and what that would mean. I quickly found the website and I knew immediately that I must apply. I love to run… and I love running long distances and I also love to inspire others and help them achieve goals they once thought impossible. To me, there are no excuses… only opportunities waiting to happen.
What is a Medtronic Global Hero?
Every October since 2006, Medtronic and Twin Cities in Motion have brought people from around the globe to Minnesota, to be part of a unique collection of long-distance runners all benefitting from medical technology. Each Global Hero represents their country and medical condition, but more importantly, they represent a return to “full life.”
It’s not easy to be a diabetic athlete, and, as mentioned on the Global Hero website, “It becomes even harder when the body becomes a barrier. For runners diagnosed with medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, spinal disorders, chronic pain or neurological disorders, that is the reality. Yet the passion for running, and for life, remains.” Yes! I felt like I was reading something I had written myself.
Application Submitted!
I quickly began drafting my application in my mind as I was called to board my flight. Quickly because it was the FINAL day applications were being accepted for this prestigious honor. Rob was waiting to pick me up at the airport. There he stood, leaning against our little Honda, smiling. He’d been working very hard and my flight was late that night and we were both hungry. He gives me a hug and says, “Where would you like to go for dinner?” There was a little restaurant on our way home that has become a familiar after-travel splurge so my answer was obvious.
On the way to the restaurant, I didn’t stop talking. That’s kind of the norm though. I’m rarely at a loss for words with Rob. I chatted about my presentation and shared the Medtronic Global Hero opportunity with him.
The clock was ticking though; applications were due in just a couple hours and I hadn’t even started mine yet. However, I when I pour my heart on a page and write with the same passion I live with, I knew I could communicate why I should be a Global Hero… (after I got a good meal with Rob, of course. This girl loves food).
I got my laptop out as soon as we walked through the door that night. Within 30 minutes, I had drafted my application. I remember when I was younger, such a writing would have taken many days and many tweaks. There’s also something about a looming deadline that puts fire in the pen. I submitted my application, proud of the words on the paper. They represented who I was, what I stood for and my determination to never give up & inspire the world.
Time passed…
Months passed but I never let the idea of being a Global Hero slip far out of sight. However, Rob and I began training well prior. Actually, Rob thought I was a little bit crazy for training for a marathon I hadn’t been entered in yet. About a year and a half prior, I had fractured a small bone in my foot and I needed to take time to let myself heal. Training for a marathon would take determination but also compassion for my body. I needed to learn to listen to my body because “if” I did become a Global Hero, nothing would keep me away from the finish line.
Rob and I started running back in 2011 at a time when life was very chaotic and stressful. I had a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy after learning I had a BRCA gene mutation that put me at an incredibly high risk of developing cancer in my lifetime. I’ve lost many family members to cancer. Thankfully my mother and sister are both cancer survivors (and both positive for the mutation as well). A change was in order and my new health-minded lifestyle began.
The Results are In !
On June 23rd, I arrived at Rob’s work where we had planned to meet-up so we could walk to the pharmacy together and pick up our diabetic supplies. On the way from the parking garage to our meet-up location, I received a text message from Rob. It said, “Congratulation, Ms. Global Hero!” I thought he was being silly knowing how I had been waiting in anticipation to hear the result.
I stood outside a little coffee shop, waiting for Rob decided to check my email…. and there it was. A letter from the Medtronic Global Hero Headquarters. The title of the email was “2015 Global Heros.” My heart skipped a beat.
I opened the email and read the first line,”Congratulations! On behalf of Twin Cities In Motion and Medtronic Philanthropy, it is our pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to be a 2015 Medtronic Global Hero.” Wow. I smiled. Rob was walking toward me smiling too. He’d received a letter from Medtronic letting him know the result as well.
My life sort of flashed before me. I saw a young Laura, just learning about diabetes, thinking I would have a difficult life… and a short life. I saw a high-strung teenager trying to make sense of growing up and being normal, I saw a young lady with her life ahead of her, trying to adjust to a new lifestyle and an insulin regimen that controlled her, I saw me grow into a responsible woman, working demanding hours in research… selflessly giving something back to the field that saved my life, and I saw where I was now. I’m a soul that cares so much about my own health that I have made it my mission to help others succeed with theirs. I was a Global Hero.
Today
As time has passed, Rob and I have continued our training runs. With each run we get stronger. Because of our medical devices (we wear insulin pumps with continuous glucose sensors), our diabetes is manageable. We can go for long runs and know how our bodies will react. By eating approximately 15g of carbohydrate every 3 miles, we keep our blood sugars in a safe range. We see graphs on our insulin pump that show us what our blood sugar is doing and we listen for predictive alarms to let us know if our blood sugars are trending into an unsafe range. Diabetes does not control us.
It is with great honor, that I will run the 2015 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in October. Rob will be right there beside me; I may be titled a Global Hero but without Rob, I wouldn’t be who I’ve grown to be. He’s the hero beside the hero – we’re arm in arm in the battle for our health and a health-minded world.
Our weekly training plan currently consists of the following activities to ensure cardiovascular health, core strength and flexibility.
- 2 short runs + 1 long run
- 2 days of Insanity MAX:30 or the 21 Day Fix
- 1 day of PiYo
- 1 rest day
- Nutrition: Clean eating and daily Shakeology
Thank you
Thank you to all those in my life who have crossed my path, inspired me, pushed me and helped me believe I could do anything. You believed in me and supported my determination to not let a medical condition stop me. I appreciate the opportunity to support others who are ready to take back their lives too. I pay it forward every single day and I love my life. Thanks for allowing me to represent anyone with a dream to be ‘better.’