ANGELA PAST

Beverly Hills, CA
Age: 51
Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 12

MEET ANGELA PAST

When were you diagnosed with diabetes?

I was diagnosed at the age of 12 in 1973

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

The prognosis was not so great then and there was a lot of fear, but my family wouldn’t let me feel that Diabetes was going to stop me from doing anything. (Thank you family!) The worst thing was that there were no tools like we have now and I had almost no control over my care. (and had three hospitalizations within six years)

How do you feel about diabetes now?

I still won’t let it stop me from doing what I want. It is along for the ride and may make some things more complicated, but it isn’t going to decide too much. I am so grateful for all the current technology that helps me make day-to-day, or hour-by-hour decisions.

Tell us about your life at home. married? children? etc.

I am still looking for ‘him’ and I am officially a crazy cat lady with a Maine Coone, Elby.

Why are exercise and competition a part of your life?

I just love doing it! I need to exercise for peace of mind and as a tool for taking good care of myself. I need the competition as a measure of whether I am improving.

What drew you to Team Type 1?

I was aware of Team Type 1 almost from the beginning when Phil Southerland wrote to Insulin Factor, an online Diabetes exercise support group started by my teammate Matt Vogel, to tell us of his plans. I bought the original jersey because I wanted to support such a great idea and then I applied almost as soon as Matt told us about the triathlon team a couple of years later.

Tell us about an athletic achievement that you find especially significant.

My first triathlon was Wildflower Olympic, a very challenging race for a first-timer! I was 42 and it was a whole new thing for me. I didn’t know any Type 1 athletes before I started training, so it was kind of scary. I had a great time though and was hooked. Being a little older should not stop you from changing things!

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

Don’t be too OCD about details. Pick the most important things and take care of them as well as you can. Don’t get upset at less than optimal numbers. Use the information; it is all a lesson for the next time.

How did you feel in school about having diabetes?

I didn’t know any diabetics except for my older relatives with type 2. I felt quite alone, but I always wanted to show people that it wasn’t going to hold me back. Luckily most of my teachers, schoolmates, Girl Scout leaders etc. felt the same.

What has been your favorite TT1 event to date?

Always the last one! I have had a wonderful time hanging out with amazing individuals and getting inspired at each event.

In what way have you found that your diabetes has helped you grow as an individual?

I think it has helped me develop a sense of balance in my life. Just like I have to balance exercise, food and medication, that has also spread to how I deal with other non-Diabetes things.

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

Recently I have been having bigger spikes after eating certain foods that I could more easily eat before and my A1cs have risen. It is always something! Before this it was nighttime lows and before that it was elevated morning numbers. It is never static!

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

To mark turning 50, I am training for my first Ironman distance race, Ironman Canada in August 2011.

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

I want to continue to work on improving my speed. Eventually I hope to qualify for Hawaii, even if it is in the 80-84 age group!