Jennifer J. Schneider, M.D., M.S. is the President at Livongo and one of the 150 members of Team Livongo headed to the La Crosse, WI JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes on Saturday, August 10. Dr. Schneider was nice enough to take time away from both work and training for the Ride to answer a few questions for us!

Do you have a personal connection to T1D?
Yes. I was diagnosed with T1D when I was 12 and my older brother was also diagnosed with T1D five years later.

How long have you been cycling?
I learned to ride a biked when I was four. It had a purple banana seat with beads on the spokes and silver ribbons coming out of the handle bars.

Do you have a lot of riding experience in events like the JDRF Ride?
YES! I have done a number of these. Some when I was teaching, one in medical school, and this will be my third in La Crosse Wisconsin, with Team Livongo. And La Crosse is only 20 miles from my hometown of Winona, MN!

What was it about the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes that made you want to get involved?
I want to find a cure. For me, for my brother, for others. And I love to exercise. And Livongo has become such a proud sponsor!

When did you start training for the Ride and what sort of training have you been doing?
We recently took Livongo public, so I am VERY under trained this year. I have mostly been on a Peloton, but believe the strength of the group will pull me through.

Has it been difficult to work training into your schedule?
This year, yes. But I remain confident and excited to take part ion the ride.

Has having such a huge company team helped build office camaraderie or made the experience any more enjoyable?
YES! We have on-going company-wide training rides in both Chicago and Mountain View, CA. I know MANY people have loved these opportunities.

What are you looking forward to most at this year’s Ride?
For me, it is always incredibly moving to see how many people have dedicated the time and focus for this. And I LOVE the silent mile. [JDRF Ride Note: Mile 23 is a special mile where we remember those that we lost to T1D with a moment of silence]

Click here to learn more about Livongo and its mission to reinvent the experience of having diabetes, making it less difficult to manage, safer, and eliminating the hassles that people with diabetes face on a daily basis.

Good luck to Dr. Schneider and the rest of Team Illinois in the La Crosse Ride and thank you to Livongo for their immense support!