Sound Familiar?

James “Buster” Douglas – Boxer

Gary Hall Jr. - US Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming

“Smokin’ Joe” Frazier – Boxing

Chris Dudley- NBA/New York Knicks center

Ayden Byle -Runner/First insulin-dependent man to run 6521.5 km across North America.

Sir Steven Redgrave - Rower/Winner of five consecutive Olympic gold medals

Ron Santo - MLB/Chicago Cubs legend

Kendall Simmons - NFL/Pittsburgh Steelers

Scott Coleman - Swimmer/First man with diabetes to swim the English Channel, (August 17th 1996)

Sherri Turner - LPGA golfer

Chuck Heidenrich – Skiing

The names listed above are pretty well known. They are known for there athletic ability, determination and talent to the sport. I bet you can’t guess what the common denominator is can you? Believe it or not, each person listed above has Diabetes. Surprising eh?

For those with Diabetes, you can control this disease. The combination of understanding the disease, consistent care and proper nutrition as per your physician is proof that a person can live a normal lifestyle to excelling at the elite athlete level.

For every goal, there are three times as many excuses not to obtain a goal. For example, – if a person is told to control their weight, the excuses multiply by the minute. Have you ever told yourself :

I don’t have time.
I don’t know how to lose weight.
My feet hurt too much when I exercise.
I just don’t feel like working out.

The list of excuses goes on and on. Ultimately, the decision is yours on how healthy your live can be. Break the mold and make the choice to place health at the forefront. Small changes can do wonders from diet to level of activity. Think about how many sessions you could have with a trainer or nutrition counselor each time you pick up that carton of cigarettes or sugar loaded snack when shopping or that large platter of food you ordered while at a restaurant.

Start each day with the right choice - your life depends on it.


Janet Dixon, C.Ped
Healthy Steps DFW...for your feet, for your life...