Commit to your New Year’s resolution with Team JDRF and run for a cure in 2018! Team JDRF has the perfect event for you to shape up and get fit: The Colfax Marathon, May 19-20, register at www.runcolfax.com. We caught up with Colfax Ambassador and T1D Chewey Lam to discuss why he runs with Team JDRF.

Greetings! JDRF Community; Chewey Lam here. What an exhilarating 2017 Coast2Coast Running Journey. Who am I? In December 2016 I was a Type 1 Diabetic with multiple autoimmune conditions and had only been running for 4 months. December 2017 and I’m a Type 1 & 3 Diabetic with multiple autoimmune conditions; and have been running for 17 months. The difference? Life experiences, more boluses, basals, technology, interactions, being a medical lab rat, JDRF Rocky Mountain, Colfax Marathon Community, and running. When I first registered; it was to run the urban 10 miler, then the Half, then finally the Full Marathon.

By the time you read this article, more individuals will be overwhelmed with the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes; more awareness needs to be brought forth. That is one of the key reasons I decided to run with JDRF Rocky Mountain at The 2017 Colfax Marathon. So many of my friends this year who were newly diagnosed and overwhelmed came to me with questions about diabetes. I saw the look in their faces; I had the same expression when first diagnosed 15 years ago. A simple A1C test for me was overlooked and masked because of my Anemia, Hemophilia, Vertigo, and other conditions.

Through running the 2017 Colfax Marathon I interacted with JDRF Rocky Mountain Chapter and its community, grew into a Diabetes Community Ambassador; started the “RunCheweyRun” Coast2Coast 2017 Journey. I’ve run 135 Races and 6,039 Miles as of 12/19/17. There’s a 2018 Journey brewing and yes, I’m running The Colfax Marathon with JDRF Rocky Mountain Chapter in 2018 and am aiming for 200 Races & Coast2Coast 6,000 miles again! Take that Diabetes- we are running for D-Community! How many JDRF Chapters can say they have a T1D Runner with 100+ races, 6,000+miles in 1 year? Let’s go for 2 years? Now let’s add a 50 mile race and 100 mile race in the same year! Yours truly, is also a Colfax Marathon Ambassador; I can give you some course tips, tricks and secrets for race day! What to train for and what race fits you and even what not to do. You can also start your weekly training with me at Type One Run-Denver! Whether you wear a CGM or not; use what you have; embrace it; turn it into an advantage. You may be the spark!
I’ve learned over this running journey in creating diabetes awareness that, “You have to be aware to create & Courage 2 Change”. It’s not always about the speed, it’s the lane, create it, find your path, your journey to walk, run in it. I started at 1 race and now we’re here- 135” Races 6,039 Miles later. JDRF Rocky Mountain and Colfax are huge reasons! See you soon on a journey to Type None!

Chewey “Bolt” Lam
#RunCheweyRun