Nat Strand Wins "The Amazing Race" Despite Having Diabetes
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Nat Strand survived diabetes to be part of the first-ever all-female team to win "The Amazing Race," a reality competition program on CBS, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Strand and her racing partner, Kat Chang, were notable for many reasons - they were the first team with two women to win the show in 17 seasons, and unlike most fellow racers, they kept positive attitudes and never fought as they traveled around the world on their way to winning the $1 million prize.
The race is difficult for most, but Strand's diabetes added an extra challenge as she traversed 32,000 miles in 10 different countries.
"I change out my pump every two or three days. Insulin has to stay cold, so how do you carry insulin around in Ghana and Oman, and keep it from overheating?" she commented to the source. "If I get low blood sugar, I need to get sugar right away and eat, and sometimes you're doing a leg [of the race] for 16 hours with no food, my blood sugar would get really high."
Despite the added complications of ensuring that she had snacks available, dealing with a pump that would beep at all hours of the night and keeping track of her insulin in high-pressure situations, Strand persevered and managed both to come out on top and to serve as an inspiration for fellow sufferers of diabetes.
According to the 2007 National Diabetes Factsheet, approximately 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes, with 5.7 million people suffering from the condition without having been diagnosed.
For more information or to make a donation, people with diabetes and their families can contact the American Diabetes Foundation.
Strand and her racing partner, Kat Chang, were notable for many reasons - they were the first team with two women to win the show in 17 seasons, and unlike most fellow racers, they kept positive attitudes and never fought as they traveled around the world on their way to winning the $1 million prize.
The race is difficult for most, but Strand's diabetes added an extra challenge as she traversed 32,000 miles in 10 different countries.
"I change out my pump every two or three days. Insulin has to stay cold, so how do you carry insulin around in Ghana and Oman, and keep it from overheating?" she commented to the source. "If I get low blood sugar, I need to get sugar right away and eat, and sometimes you're doing a leg [of the race] for 16 hours with no food, my blood sugar would get really high."
Despite the added complications of ensuring that she had snacks available, dealing with a pump that would beep at all hours of the night and keeping track of her insulin in high-pressure situations, Strand persevered and managed both to come out on top and to serve as an inspiration for fellow sufferers of diabetes.
According to the 2007 National Diabetes Factsheet, approximately 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes, with 5.7 million people suffering from the condition without having been diagnosed.
For more information or to make a donation, people with diabetes and their families can contact the American Diabetes Foundation.
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