There are some things people don’t let stand in the way of their dreams.
Today, at Canyons resort, a special program is doing just that.
“Riding on Insulin,” a program designed specifically to teach kids ages 12 to 16 how to deal with their diabetes appropriately on the mountain and while participating in winter sports in general is gathering roughly 50 kids today at Canyons as part of the program’s inaugural year.
Aimee Greenholtz, the executive director of KeyVive, a diabetes management company based in Park City, has had diabetes for 20 years and sees a program like this as a launching pad that can only benefit children later on in their lives.
“It’s all about empowerment,” she said. “There are a lot of kids here that need that. It’s about getting out there and having fun in a winter sports climate.’
Greenholtz, who started Kids Rock the World, a diabetes camp, in Los Angeles, Calif., in 2000, came to Utah three years ago and began to build a program.
She became affiliated with Sean Busby, a professional snowboarder with type 1 diabetes and the idea for Riding on Insulin came to fruition.
“We wanted to show kids that we can have a normal life with diabetes,” Greenholtz said. “Sean has been fantastic with these kids.”
Busby learned he had diabetes when he was 19 and thought about quitting snowboarding all together.
“Riding on Insulin is a place where kids can try a winter sport in a safe environment, share tips on managing their disease, and make new friends who are just like them,” Busby says. “I always find myself learning from the campers who come to my camps. It’s been the best medicine, aside from insulin, for managing my diabetes.”
The program’s focal point is to have pro athletes such as Busby, snowboard instructors and doctors that specialized in diabetes address the kids on the overall management of diabetes during activities.
Greenholtz reiterated that while the program is focused on helping children maintain blood sugar levels and being prepared for any scenario during physical activity, it’s also about proving to children that they can participate, no matter what their affliction is.
“A lot of kids that get diagnosed get very nervous about it,” she said. “We want to make sure that they know that everybody can do it.”
She went on to say that physical activity is one of the best ways for people mainly children to stay on top of their diabetes. Exercising constantly is something that Greenholtz singled out as a mandate for health and diabetes going forward.
“With diabetes, you have to do your homework first,” she said. “Once you do your homework and get your bearings on your sugar levels, you’re fine. You can do anything.”
Greenholtz said that the medical community of Park City has embraced the program and sees the number of participants growing larger with each year.
“It’s going to be a blast,” she said. “It’s all about learning. It’s about not letting anything stop you.”