JOE TROTTER

Columbia, MD
Age: 44
Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes at age 41

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Brasstown Bald Century and the Six Gap Century in 2010

MEET JOE TOTTER

Tell us about your diagnosis with diabetes.

I was diagnosed in Feb 2008 with an A1C of 12.9 and a Blood Glucose level of over 600. Aside from being obese I started having issues with numbness and extreme fatigue. Then I started noticing I was always thirsty. This thirst got worse over time. It progressed to the point my mouth was so dry it was sore and I could not eat.

How did you feel about the diagnosis?

My family has a history of diabetes so it was not unexpected.

How do you feel about diabetes now?

It’s mixed. On one hand its not easy going through having Diabetes on the other hand it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. It can be challenging to manage and I occasionally resent having to think about it. All in all though, it has brought me more good than bad. I have done more and pushed myself further than I could have ever imagined. I would have never discovered cycling if it was not for diabetes.

Tell us about your life at home. Married? Children?

I am not married and do not have children. However I do have someone very special in my life who has been very supportive of me and cycling.

Why is exercise and competition a part of your life?

I need exercise to achieve good diabetes control and maintain my health. I hold exercise in highest regard. It is what keeps me alive. Literally. My preferred form of exercise is cycling. The following thought keeps me on track: If I don’t ride, I die. That’s it.

What drew you to Team Type 2?

TT2 found me. I did a ride in October 2009 called Spin for Kids (SFK). I had a photo of the finish line with the SFK banner over my head and me in my Tour De Cure Red Rider jersey. That wound up in a newspaper article that Phil Southerland saw and he contacted me.

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

Joining the Air Force after college, it was the best decision I could have made.

How about an athletic achievement that you find especially significant?

My first Century ride ( Aug 2009). A year and a half before completing that ride my mindset was much different. I had accepted that my health status was poor and understood the likely consequences. I honestly thought I would not live very long since I was so over weight and I was not sure how much damage was done. It took too long but ultimately I had a moment of clarity about the situation, I realized that I alone had the ability to improve my health by the way I lived, the daily choices I made. I had a choice to either change or die. This change was, at the beginning especially, a real fight. I chose to fight and there I was finishing a 100 miles on a bike. I realized at the end of that ride what I had accomplished. I broke down and cried. What I felt was just profound. I knew that this one long ride was not an end, but a beginning. I knew I had to keep this up for the rest of my life.

If there is one piece of advice you could give to someone who was newly diagnosed with diabetes– what would it be?

NEVER give up. NEVER. Keep fighting, moving forward. ALWAYS push yourself to do more.

Tell us about your favorite TT2 event to date.

Working with the RAAM (Race Across America) event, I love crewing for the team and meeting amazing people.

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

Absolutely. For me, it actually took diabetes to turn my life around. My life is better now than ever.

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

I always try and lower my AIC. My doctor wants it around 5.2 so I am working on that.

What is an athletic goal you have for the short term – say less than one year from now?

Doing the Brasstown Bald Century, The Atlanta Tour De Cure Century and then the Assault on Mount Mitchell Century. 300 plus miles in 3 days and two of the hardest rides on the east coast.