JEFF BANNINK



  • Shorewood, WI
  • Age: 42
  • Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 11

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS


  • NCAA All-America in Swimming (1991, 1992, 1993)
  • Earning USA Cycling Category 1 Status – you’ve gotta have the results to justify the upgrade
  • Member 2009 and 2010 RAAM winning team (and record-setting team)
  • Winner of 2008 Bannink Family Thanksgiving Bowling Competition

MEET JEFF BANNINK


When were you diagnosed with diabetes?

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1982. I was 11 years old and had just started 6th grade.


How did you and your family feel about diabetes when you were first diagnosed?

Actually we felt relieved! I was happy that there was a diagnosis that explained the symptoms I had. When we knew the cause, we could start to treat it.


How do you feel about diabetes now?

It’s kind of a funny question, like “how do you feel about your liver?” It is so much a part of me that it is hard to consider independently. I don’t think about how I feel about it – it’s just a part of who I am.


Tell us about your life at home.

I’ve been married for 18 years and have 3 young children – ages 10, 8, and 5.


Why is exercise and competition a part of your life?

I just enjoy being outdoors and being active. I especially enjoy riding my bike. There’s a saying, “a bad day on the bike is still better than a good day at work.” I find that statement to be true for me. When I’m not able to ride my bike, I do other types of exercise to keep my blood sugars under control, but it’s never as enjoyable for me as just getting outside and riding. As for competition, I guess I just like to suffer on the bike. I enjoy really hard races – if it’s cold, windy, or wet and the course is selective, then I know I’m going to have a good race.


What drew you to Team Type 1?

When I saw the amount of excitement in the diabetes community that was generated when Team Type 1 competed in RAAM (The Race Across America), I wanted to be a part of that. I’m just a single example of a person who has been successful in sport despite having diabetes, but I wanted to add my one story to all the other inspiring stories of Type 1 athletes. My hope in joining Team Type 1 was that I could help inspire other people with diabetes to achieve their own goals.


Tell us about a personal Achievement that is highly significant to you.

Assembling an IKEA armoire without looking at the instructions!


How about an athletic achievement that you find especially significant?

Beating my 5 year old son in Wii basketball. It’s significant because it’s only ever happened once! You may consider an event on a technological platform ‘virtual’ but I can tell you this was as real as it gets.


Is there any advice you would like to give to one newly diagnosed with diabetes?

Test your blood sugar a LOT! But, don’t freak out if your numbers aren’t always perfect. There are a million variables that affect blood glucose levels. Become aware of the variables and learn how your blood sugar is impacted by each of them. The only way to do that is by paying attention to your body and testing your glucose frequently.


How did you feel in school about having diabetes?

I have a special talent for picking the worst times to have a hypo. The only feeling I remember from my school years as it relates to having diabetes is embarrassment from having hypoglycemic episodes at particularly inopportune times. I was not ashamed about having diabetes, but having diabetes did cause me to do and say some silly things. Let me tell you that low blood sugar does not impress a girl on a first date! But, I also made changes because of that embarrassment. First, I told everybody I knew about my diabetes. Rather than looking like a complete dork when I got low BG, my friends would notice the symptoms that I told them about and they would help me out. Second, I started to check my blood sugars more frequently in order to avoid surprises.


What has been your favorite TT1 event to date?

Competing in RAAM. The experience of going though the mental and physical trials of that event with a group of type 1 teammates and friends can’t be conveyed in words.


Are there any ways that you feel diabetes has been a benefit in your life?

Anyone who is able to successfully manage their diabetes has to develop some basic skills and attributes, including discipline, self-control, learning-by-experimenting, and mental multi-tasking (e.g. calculating calorie intake with timing and dosage of insulin based on duration and intensity of exercise while simultaneously completing a school or work project). I believe that those skills are also important to achieving success in business, academics, athletics, or any other personal endeavor. It seems strange to say that learning how to manage my diabetes as a teenager prepared me for success in college, but I’m certain that it’s true.


Are there any areas of your diabetes management that you are currently targeting to improve?

Fewer lows. A lot of folks think that a really low HA1c is a good thing. I’ve had some very low A1c’s and I know from experience that it is not healthy for me to be in the low 5’s – if I’m below 5.8, it means I’m hypo too often.


Tell us about an athletic goal you have for the short term – say less than one year from now.

Beat my 5-year old son in Wii tennis! (That has still never happened.)


How about an athletic goal that you have for the long term?

Stay competitive in Pro/Cat 1 races until I’m 50.