(ARA) – When Firestone Indy Lights racecar driver Charlie
Kimball roars into town for a race, he’s out to prove more than his
dominance on the racetrack. He’s looking to inspire people with
diabetes that nothing, not even their disease, has to slow them
down.

Racing at speeds as high as 150 mph, Kimball faces tough
challenges every day. But his biggest hurdle so far wasn’t on the
racetrack – it was in his doctor’s office. It was there, in 2007,
that Kimball was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Kimball’s life changed overnight, and with no family history and
little understanding of the disease, he was overwhelmed. Even
worse, he was forced to put his racing career on hold until he
could get his diabetes under control.

“It was like the world stood still,” Kimball says of his
diagnosis. “I wasn’t sure what to think. What would this mean for
me as a driver – but also what would I need to do to manage
this?”

Kimball quickly learned that people with type 1 diabetes do not
produce the insulin their bodies need to properly control blood
sugar levels. To treat the disease, people with type 1 diabetes
need to take insulin. Despite the available treatment it still can
be difficult to achieve optimal blood sugar goals. The resulting
“highs” and “lows” can cause serious side effects, and for someone
behind the wheel of a racecar, the consequences could be
deadly.

But Kimball, just 23 at the time, decided diabetes wouldn’t be
the end of his career. He worked with his doctor to find a
treatment regimen that kept his diabetes under control on and off
the track. Kimball’s team fit his racecar with a continuous glucose
monitor that provides real-time updates on his blood sugar levels
and fashioned a special helmet system that enables Kimball to take
a sip of sugar-rich orange juice if levels get too low while
racing. With these changes in place, Kimball was back in the
racecar six weeks later and earned a triumphant podium finish in
his first race since his diagnosis.

As the only licensed racecar driver with diabetes in the Indy
Racing League, Kimball was in the unique position to share his
inspiring story. He teamed up with Novo Nordisk, makers of the
Levemir FlexPen and NovoLog, the insulins and prefilled insulin pen
device that he uses to help manage his diabetes.

Through this partnership, Kimball shares his story at hospitals
in the cities where he races the No. 26 Levemir FlexPen car, as
well as at diabetes patient expos nationwide.

“Charlie Kimball is a great example of how people living with
diabetes can successfully manage their disease without letting it
get in the way of their dreams,” says Dr. Anne Peters, diabetes
expert and Kimball’s doctor.  “Charlie is a realist about his
diabetes. He did the work to understand the challenges it can
bring, and he does the work to manage it as well.”

Kimball currently competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series
on the Andretti Autosport team, and hopes are high as he competes
for the 2010 Indy Lights championship title.

To learn more about Charlie Kimball, follow him at
Twitter.com/racewithinsulin or visit NovoNordiskCare.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent