This is the second and final part of Alissa's interview with NASCAR racer Ryan Reed.  Please consider donating to Ryan's charity DriveToStopDiabetes

From Ryan’s website:

Ryan Reed began his first full NASCAR Xfinity Season at the start of 2014. He finished 9th in overall standings, with 1 top 5 finish and 14 top 15 finishes. His season best took place at Daytona Intentional Speedway, where he finished 4th. He will start his 2nd Season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the No 16 team in 2015.

Reed's racing career began at a young age, capturing the Kid's Kart Track Championship at the age of four. The Bakersfield, California native followed that up by becoming the Junior 1 Comer and HPV Karting Track Champion at age eight.

You can read the rest of Ryan’s bio on his site DriveToStopDiabetes

Alissa:       What team of people do you work with who medically care and support you in your diabetes while you're racing?

Ryan:        I’m mostly managing it myself with the help of my doctor. At the racetrack, one of my pit crew is trained to give me an insulin injection at a pit stop if necessary.  NASCAR has a medical team at every race.

Alissa:       I have looked at some of your videos and I saw that you have some kind of bulls-eye that gives you insulin?

Ryan:        That's a patch on my suit that’s a little bit thinner than the rest of the material. It’s to indicate where to give me the insulin injection if I need it.

Alissa:       What do you do if you're racing and have low blood sugar? What do you do to prevent low blood sugar while you're racing?

Ryan:        I have a drink inside of my car that's timed glucose. It's like a sports drink base that we add dextrose to for more glucose.

Alissa:       What is that? Does your CGM tell you when your blood sugar's high or low? How do you get the drink into your body?

Ryan:        I have a tube that runs to the front of my helmet—it's a camelback system. I have a bite-valve that's right on the side of my helmet so I can actually drink while I'm racing.  I also have my CGM that I'm looking at throughout the race, so I know if my blood sugar is high or low.

Alissa:       Does the stress of racing affect your blood sugar?

Ryan:        Yes. More than the stress, the dehydration is probably the biggest factor. Adrenaline plays a factor as well.

Alissa:       That's interesting. So what do you do for dehydration?

Ryan:        I do the best I can leading into the race to stay as hydrated as possible because there's no way around it. On a hot day I will lose up to 4 or 5 pounds in a race. On the days that I feel I didn't do as good a job as I needed to in order to stay hydrated, I pay the price.

Alissa:       I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about your organization. It's “Drive to Stop Diabetes,” right?

Ryan:        Yes. My personal foundation is “Ryan's Mission” and then “Drive to Stop Diabetes” is an American Diabetes Association organization, which I also play a huge part in. “Drive to Stop Diabetes” came out in 2013 and was centered around our racing platform. For me the biggest part is working with younger kids and spreading the message that you can do whatever you want despite having diabetes—don’t let someone tell you that you can’t chase your dream.

                The American Diabetes Association does a lot of work to spread general information at the racetrack—whether its risk tests or awareness information. Lilly Diabetes got involved at the end of 2013, beginning of 2014, and became a title sponsor. They have played a huge part in helping it grow, reach more people and funding.

Alissa:       You mentioned “Ryan's Mission.” How did you come up with that idea and what exactly is it?

Ryan:        “Ryan's Mission” was my first way of getting involved. It was just a website we put up and it was a place to go to tell my story. There is a woman who works for “Ryan's Mission” who does a lot of the day-to-day work with ADA, Lilly Diabetes and “Drive to Stop Diabetes,” but we are more behind the scene. We don't have a lot of events or fundraisers, but we'll have charities donate to “Ryan’s Mission” and a lot of the funds go back to ADA or to help fund an auction or a fundraiser.

Alissa:       Have you raised a lot of money through your organization?

Ryan:        We do a little bit here and there to help stay afloat, but most of our efforts go into the Drive program. It’s hard managing two different programs and my focus is on the Drive program because they've done a lot for me to help me to continue to chase my dream.

Alissa:       What kind of advice do you give people who want to become athletes and compete? Do they need a team of people or is it doable to manage independently? I have interviewed my doctor, Dr. Blevins, and I did an interview with him on this topic and he actually said it is doable. So I'm curious to hear what you think and what your advice would be to people.

Ryan:        I feel it's different for everyone. Meeting and talking to people like you, everyone has a different situation. Each sport, or each person, has their own challenges—not only with their own diabetes, but with whatever their passion is. A lot of it I can listen to and understand, but there is also a lot of it I don't understand and so it’s hard for me to give too in-depth of advice. For me it’s just going through it and dealing with it. With others I just try and tell them, "Don't give up."

                I still struggle with my diabetes.  I have a great doctor and I understand it, but I still have my bad days—just like everyone else. I try and give a positive message of "Don't give up. Don't let the frustrations beat you. Just continue to overcome and give 100%." That's all you can do and, at the end of the day, it’s worth it being able to go out there and do whatever it is that you love to do.

Alissa:       That's so interesting, and that's why I wanted to interview you. Those are all my questions, so I really want to thank you so much!

Ryan:        No problem.

From Ryan’s website:

Ryan Reed began his first full NASCAR Xfinity Season at the start of 2014. He finished 9th in overall standings, with 1 top 5 finish and 14 top 15 finishes. His season best took place at Daytona Intentional Speedway, where he finished 4th. He will start his 2nd Season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the No 16 team in 2015.

Reed's racing career began at a young age, capturing the Kid's Kart Track Championship at the age of four. The Bakersfield, California native followed that up by becoming the Junior 1 Comer and HPV Karting Track Champion at age eight.

You can read the rest of Ryan’s bio on his site DriveToStopDiabetes

Alissa:       Can you tell me about your diabetes, how you were diagnosed and what were your symptoms?

Ryan:        In 2011, I was living and loving life. One morning I woke up and was incredibly thirsty. It was so severe! It felt as if I hadn't had water in days. I was continuously drinking water and using the restroom. This went on for two or three months.

I had lost ten to fifteen pounds and didn't feel well at all. When my parents saw me they were terribly concerned and insisted that I seek medical attention. The next day my doctor checked my blood sugar which was 350 fasting. I was diagnosed on the spot with diabetes.

Alissa:       How did you handle your diagnosis emotionally, and how did your parents and family handle it?

Ryan:        My main concern was how it was going to affect my racing. My doctor said I was never going to race again and I was emotionally destitute. I started racing at age four and I was 17 when I was diagnosed. Because I had just started having a lot of success in racing, when I was diagnosed I thought my career was over. My family was very supportive.

Alissa:       Does diabetes run in your family?

Ryan:        No.

Alissa:       What kind of treatment did you initially receive, and how did you find the right doctors and medical support?

Ryan:        I was immediately put on insulin. I started researching athletes with diabetes and I found a story on Charlie Kimball, the Indy car driver. The story spoke of his doctor, Anne Peters, so I researched her. She was in Southern California, only two hours away from my home, and I contacted her and became her patient. The first time I saw her, she was optimistic and confident that I would get back into a race car. That's when things turned around.

Alissa:       How often do you see your endocrinologist and what kind of diabetic regimen are you currently on?

Ryan:        I see my doctor every three months. I used pens and I use a CGM (Dexcom).

Alissa:       You're not on a pump?

Ryan:        No. It gets very hot, about 150 degrees, inside the race car. We didn’t feel confident that the insulin would be effective at those temperatures. We decided the pen was the right treatment for me, and I’m really comfortable with it.

Alissa:       What benefits do you get from Dexcom that made you choose it?

Ryan:        I’m a huge advocate of Dexcom. I went on it very shortly after I was diagnosed. I sometimes go most of the day without checking my blood sugar, and it's always right on.

Alissa:       How did you educate your friends and family when you were younger in school about your diabetes? What kind of diabetic regimen did you follow when you were at school?

Ryan:        When I was diagnosed, I was already in the process of moving to North Carolina and my schoolwork was an independent studies program.  Although I was a senior in high school, I didn’t go to school.  My friends were not only supportive, but they wanted to understand diabetes and the changes that were being made in my life. If I needed anything, they were available. My parents were right there with me the whole time.  I had a really great support group around me!

Alissa:       What is the most common question that you're asked?

Ryan:        I get asked a lot about taking shots every day—does it hurt, or what’s it like?

Alissa:       How demanding is racing? What kind of shape do you need to be in?

Ryan:        There are guys in racing that are in great shape—they’re triathletes and world-class athletes—and then there are guys that aren't. I love being active, and I love being fit—whether racing or not. I do cycling, Crossfit and weight lifting to stay active. In doing so, it benefits for racing endurance.

Alissa:       How did you adjust your diet?

Ryan:        I was really concerned with training and diet limitations. My doctor and nutritionist made sure I could eat and train like an athlete and not have to sacrifice because of my diabetes. It actually motivated me to get in better shape and understand more about what I was putting in my body. I felt like I became healthier and a better athlete.

Alissa:       How did you persevere and become successful in this sport that you're so passionate about when you were told that you may not be able to race again?

Ryan:        It was horrible to be diagnosed and told I couldn’t race. At 17 years old, you take things for granted. My diagnosis motivated me and made me appreciate what I had.

Alissa:       Were you aware of any other colleagues of your race car drivers living with diabetes? If so, were they able to provide you with support or advice?

Ryan:        No one besides Charlie. He was always open to giving advice and I talked to him whenever I was first diagnosed. There really aren’t many people in racing with diabetes—some crew guys, but not any drivers. 

This concludes Part I of II, interview with Ryan Reed.  In the next(and final) part, Ryan talks about how he manages his diabetes while racing, whether or not he uses a CGM, what he does for dehydration and much more!  Register now to be notified when An Interview with Ryan Reed Part II is published!