However, in an effort to be a better world citizen I'm paying attention to the London 2012 Olympics and I'm actually quite interested. I have never watched an Olympic Open Ceremony (I know I should be ashamed but I'm not) but I figured I would do my duty and give it a chance. (BTW it was an amazing production that I'm still talking about and loving the music from it).
I became swallowed up in the mystery of who was going to light the Olympic flame even though I didn't think I would have a clue who it was when I first saw them.
Imagine my surprise when the image of the gentleman who was waiting to take the torch from "Becks". I stuttered "Is that Sir, StSteve Regrave?". The commentator confirmed it and also referred to Sir Steve as "one of Britain's greatest Olympians". I felt like yelling "AND HE'S AN INSULIN DEPENDANT DIABETIC". But of course I know that's not what defines him and that only other people with diabetes would be interested in knowing this.
Steve Redgrave bringing the Olympic torch into the stadium represented the idea that talented people with diabetes can be the best of the best despite being lead to believe otherwise by people who wouldn't necessarily know any better. If you are one of these people who has an Olympic dream I would like you to not listen to those people and most importantly not be afraid to push the boundaries because of your diabetes. If you're working hard on your dream then you can figure out your diabetes as you go along. By the time of 2016 you will have learned how to teach your diabetes to allow you to excel.
People with diabetes can be whatever they want to be but a lot of us already know that.