Anne and Penn McClatchey completed their first JDRF Ride in 2019 in Death Valley, CA. As parents of 3 sons with T1D, the McClatcheys first became involved with JDRF after their son, Mason, was diagnosed in 1995. Flash forward to 2019 and the two road a combined 200+ miles in Death Valley and raised $16,000 for JDRF!

Anne and Penn McClatchey completed their first JDRF Ride in 2019 in Death Valley, CA. As parents of 3 sons with T1D, the McClatcheys first became involved with JDRF after their son, Mason, was diagnosed in 1995. Flash forward to 2019 and the two road a combined 200+ miles in Death Valley and raised $16,000 for JDRF! See below to learn more about their Ride story:

• What is your T1D connection? We have three sons with T1D: Mason, Forester, and William. Mason was diagnosed at the age of 5 in 1995; Forester was diagnosed at 15 in 2009; and William was diagnosed at 9 in 2004.
• When did you first get involved with JDRF? Our first JDRF event was the Halloween Party shortly after Mason’s diagnosis. We were juggling a 5 month old, a 22 month old and a new diagnosis. We accidentally injected Mason with a large dose of fast acting insulin thinking it was the long acting insulin, and then got to meet everyone at the party as we frantically searched for sugar in a specifically sugar free party.
• What motivated you to join the Ride team in 2019? Penn: A force of nature called Barry Falcon. Anne: And wine. Wine definitely clouded our judgement that night.
• How was your experience with the Georgia Ride program? Penn: It surpassed expectations in every way. JDRF Georgia’s Ride program is amazing. It is essentially a cycling club. I knew a bit about road cycling, but the two coaches took my knowledge to the next level. They were both even more helpful to Anne, who had never ridden a road bike before this year. Anne: Yep. The coaches were amazing, as were our teammates. So supportive! Unbelievable experience!
• Share a favorite moment from the season. Anne finishing her first century. Like our journey with T1D, we rode together and crossed the finish line together. It was an incredibly emotional thing for both of us. We want T1D to go away so badly. Our boys are adults and out of the house now, and it felt good to be able to do something together to fight the anxiety that comes with a family member’s diagnosis.
• What advice do you have for anyone considering signing up for the first time? DO IT!!!! This bunch will take you as you come, and you can participate at any level you like. The skill and experience levels ranged from rank beginners to competitive athletes and plenty in between. If you are looking for a way to get in or stay in shape and help fight T1D, I can’t recommend the Georgia Chapter Ride program highly enough.