NASCAR Xfinity driver, Ryan Reed has more to keep track of than just his car’s tire pressure, RPM and engine temperature when he’s racing. On his dashboard, he also keeps track of a monitor that measures his blood sugar levels.
When Reed was 17 years old, he was told that he his racing career was finished because it was too dangerous to risk becoming confused because of hypoglycemia while rocketing at speed of more than 200 mph.
But thanks to advances in diabetes monitoring technology, the 22-year-old is not only living his dream but motivating others with his Drive to Stop Diabetes campaign.
Reed, the son of former NASCAR driver Mark Reed, Ryan began racing go-karts at age 4. As a teenager growing up in California, he was car obsessed and he was just about to move to the North Carolina to begin his NASCAR career when he began to suddenly lose weight. He was also chronically thirsty and was consuming massive amounts of water.
When Reed was 17 years old, he was told that he his racing career was finished because it was too dangerous to risk becoming confused because of hypoglycemia while rocketing at speed of more than 200 mph.
Reed was in the process of moving to North Carolina to begin his own NASCAR career when he began losing weight and “drinking tons of water.” When doctors revealed that he was a type 1 diabetic, he was devastated by his diagnosis. But when he heard about the diabetic IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball, a glimmer of hope began to shine. Reed contacted Kimball’s doctor Anne Peters, who set Reed up with a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor to mount on his dashboard. Peters also insisted that Reed had to prepare his body for optimum performance. So he employed a personal trainer and switched from a “typical teenage diet” to one that includes “a decent amount of healthy carbs” such as whole grains, along with lean protein and healthy fats such as avocado.
Reed now serves as a diabetes advocate both on and off the track, visiting children’s hospitals, support groups, and summer camps. The passenger door of his race car bears the name of a different diabetes patient every month. “I understand my body so much more now because of diabetes,” he said, noting that he runs and bikes and recently completed his first 5K. “That was my first race that wasn’t in a race car.”
Reed waxes appreciatively about his strong connection with the diabetes community. “Probably the most rewarding thing is the time I spend with kids, seeing how much it means to them.” Through his racing, he hopes to inspire other children with diabetes to demonstrate to them that they can achieve their dreams.
