Team of Women Who Exercise with Diabetes Will Compete in Ironman Wisconsin on September 11, 2011

Sept. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- The amazing women of Team WILD are ready. They have all their gear packed: their goggles, swim caps, bikes, run shoes, hats and sunscreen. They also have their glucose sensors, insulin pumps, glucose tablets, glucose meters, extra insulin syringes and extra insulin. They have all practiced, written and solidified their personal Race Plan Strategies. These amazing, inspirational women have given new meaning to the doctors orders, “you have diabetes you should exercise!”

On September 11, 2011, the 11 women of Team WILD will compete in Ironman Wisconsin taking exercise with diabetes to new heights. The will each swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.3 miles all in under 17 hours. These eleven regular women, 10 of whom live with type one diabetes, are from four states and New Zealand. They range in age from 29 to 47, and they are all part of Team WILD: We Inspire Life with Diabetes, which supported them with cutting-edge diabetes education, mental skills training, nutrition guidance and peer support.

For 9 of the 11 women on Team WILD, this will be their first full Ironman distance event. The team will begin to arrive in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday, September 7, a full five days before the event, so as to mentally settle into the major undertaking of competing in an Iron distance triathlon, after 8 months of focused Ironman training. 8 of the 11 women have been members of Team WILD since it began three years ago.

To undertake the challenge of an Ironman triathlon, training the mind is as important as training the body. The team worked with Team WILD Mental Skills Coach Carrie Cheadle to prepare themselves mentally for the undertaking.

Karyn Brown, age 36, first time IMer who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 21 years, is planning to dedicate each mile of the marathon to a teammate, friend or family member. She has made a list of the names of her inspiration that she will carry with her as she runs each of the 26.2 miles to the finish line where she will hear her name announced, “Karyn Brown, YOU are an IRONMAN!”

Karen Lipinsky, age 45, also a first time IMer and the Team WILD Ironman Team Captain, has lived with type 1 diabetes for 18 years, has a mantra she will use for each section of the race. For the swim she will chant to herself, “long and strong.” During the bike as she remembers to consume 50 to 60 grams of carbohydrate each hour, she will smile and chant, “I am strong and tough. I can do this thing!” During the run, all 26.2 miles of it, she will focus on encouraging other athletes and she will periodically say to herself, “Holy frijoles, I am about to complete an IRONMAN!!!”

To support Karyn, Karen and the other athletes of Team WILD, here is a list of the women of Team WILD Ironman with their ages, where they live, years living with diabetes and their bib number. Please follow the WILD Ironman Wisconsin action at our Twitter feed @teamwild.

Alex Osias, 34, Boulder, CO, type 1 for 1 year. Bib 456. Second Ironman.

Gillian Forsyth, 43, Chicago, IL, type 1 for 12 years. Bib 692. First Ironman.

Heidi-Jane James, 32, Wellington, New Zealand, type 1 for 18 years. Bib 430. Fourth Ironman.

Jen Ahn, 38, Chicago, IL, type 1 for 15 years. Bib 560. First Ironman.

Karen Lipinsky, 45, Boulder, CO, type 1 for 18 years. Bib 752. First Ironman.

Karyn Brown, 36, Denver, CO, type 1 for 21 years. Bib 518. First Ironman.

Kathleen Fraser, 44, San Francisco, CA, type 1 for 15 years. Bib 726. First Ironman.

Kathy Ziegert, 32, Madison, WI, type 1 for 19 years. Bib 419. First Ironman.

Lorrie DeCesare, 47, Chicago, IL, type 1 for 31 years. Bib 780. First Ironman.

Lyndsay Riffe, 29, Chicago, IL, type 1 for 26 years. Bib 292. First Ironman.

Sue Olsen, 40, Chicago, IL, type 3 supporter (doesn’t have diabetes) Bib 619. First Ironman. And Susie is the creator of the name of Team WILD!

The mission of Team WILD is to empower adult men and women with diabetes to take charge of their health by teaching how to be an athlete first, then a person, an athlete, with diabetes. We work with athletes of all fitness levels and types of diabetes. All you have to do is first decide to be an athlete.

At Team WILD, we believe that being an athlete shifts our mental mindset to one of optimal performance of the body, rather than being in a mindset of disease and fear. High caliber athletes pay attention to nutrition, to stress, to sleep, to medication, and to exercise. Team WILD provides athletic coaching, diabetes coaching, mental skills coaching by certified experts in an interdisciplinary team context.

Team WILD is extremely grateful to our sponsors for helping to make the dream a reality to empower people with diabetes to see themselves as athletes. Our sponsors for the 2011 season are PRMSport, BicyclingHub.com, PrimalWear Inc, Rudy Project, and Mix1.

Team WILD Director Mari Ruddy also founded the Red Rider Recognition Program used to celebrate cyclists with diabetes at the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure bicycle rides. As a result, Team WILD is in close collaboration with the American Diabetes Association. All of the Team WILD Ironman athletes rode in a Tour de Cure ride this summer as part of their training for IM Wisconsin.

Find out more about Team WILD and about the amazing WILD women doing Ironman Wisconsin and to sign up for a complimentary mini course on The Mindset of An Athlete, go to: http://teamwild.org.

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Expert coaching, expert diabetes education and peer support for adult women and men with diabetes who want to reach their fitness and wellness goals.

Photos:
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