Cyclists With Diabetes Compete In Tulsa BMX Nationals, Inspire Others

Cyclists from all over the country spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Tulsa. The American Bicycle Association's Grand Nationals were held at the fairgrounds.

While thousands of racers pedaled their way around the track, one team was out to show that a serious medical diagnosis can't slow them down.

From the starting line to the dirt moguls, thousands of BMXer's have flocked to Tulsa's QuikTrip center.

Right there along for the ride is Matt Neal, a 31-year-old manager of a health and wellness company in Arizona. He's also been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

" Basically, my body thinks that my pancreas is foreign and so it'll attack that and I no longer produce insulin," Neal said.

Neal's a member of special race team called BMX Team Type 1. Eleven riders on the team, from six to 40 years old, eight have type 1 diabetes.

Neal wears a pump on his left shoulder. Every few days he pumps insulin into his body to keep his system in order.

"It's kind of like the difference between driving an automatic and a five-speed. So I used to have an automatic and now that my pancreas doesn't work, I drive a five-speed, so I have to inject the insulin and manage it that way," Neal said.

Despite the competitive nature of BMX and the physical toll it takes on a rider's body, Neal said his diagnosis has no effect on what he does on the track. As a matter of fact, he said racing was one of the first things on his mind when he was diagnosed three years ago.

"After my diagnosis, I started racing BMX really first to prove it to myself that I could still do it and then after that, I wanted to prove to others that you could still do it," Neal said.

Neal and the rest of his team hope their effort inspires others who find themselves face to face with diabetes.

"You can still get out here. You can still compete on your BMX bike. You can play football, basketball, whatever you want to do. You can still do whatever you want," Neal said.

The next race for Neal's team will be in Reno, Nevada, just after the beginning of the New Year.

11/29/2009 Related Story: BMX Grand Nationals Roll Into Tulsa