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Triabuddies is a one-of a kind mentoring program for kids with diabetes. Each year a select group of kids is selected from across the country and paired off with a Triabetes team captain in training for an Ironman Triathlon.
In addition to regular mentor-pupil interaction, the Triabuddies program includes a weeklong kids-only adventure trip that culminates with a visit to the Triabetes Ironman race site. Here the Triabuddies are given the opportunity to support their mentors throughout the race and join the mentors as they cross the finish line. In 2010, the Triabuddies will also be given the opportunity to train for a kids triathlon in Florida, where they'll be cheered on by their adult mentors.
The relationship that develops between a Triabetes captain and a Triabuddy is designed to teach the youth that there are no limits to a life with diabetes, and that exercise plays a vital role in improving one’s health. As the program progresses, Triabuddies begin to understand the process of goal setting and the expansion of one’s own mental and physical abilities. Following last year’s program, 2008 Triabuddy Taylor Burger proclaimed, “I’m a person who has diabetes, and I can overcome anything.
The Triabuddies also have a profound effect on the Triabetes captains, who are encouraged to reflect on how their actions can serve a purpose greater than themselves. According to Triabetes 2008 captain Joe Brady from Cambridge, Wisconsin, crossing the finish line hand-in-hand with his Triabuddy was “the best part.”
More information on this year's Triabuddies program will be available in early spring 2010.
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