#Industry News
HIGH OCTANE GLUCOSE MONITORING: CGM KEEPS KIMBALL IN THE RACE
Charlie Kimball Has Type 1 Diabetes, But That Doesn't Stop Him From Hurtling Around The Race Track At 225 mph
When racing car driver Charlie Kimball discovered he had Type 1 diabetes at the age of 22 it came as a shock, how would it impact his career, what would he do? Despite having to pull out halfway through the racing season, Charlie was back with a vengeance the following year becoming the first licensed driver with diabetes in IndyCar history. He wears a discreet, continuous glucose-monitoring (CGM) sensor during practices and races to keep on top of his condition. Races can last up to three hours and he must stay fully focused on his driving, therefore his lead engineer keeps an eye on his blood sugar level as well car speed and fuel expenditure. His father Gordon has even come up with a clever valve that allows his son to switch between bottles of water and orange juice. The water keeps him refreshed and the juice keeps his glucose levels balanced.
Kimball’s main racing sponsor is Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk, who also supply his insulin. Novo Nordisk also sponsor Team Novo Nordisk the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team. These relationships are mutually beneficial and demonstrate that having diabetes isn’t a barrier to being a high level athlete. Kimball’s career has been ticking along nicely in recent years (he came third at the 2015 Indianapolis 500), and in order to stay in peak condition he maintains a rigorous training and dietary regime. He compares his specialized training to maintaining a racing car, you have to take care of the battery, tyres and electrics to keep everything running smoothly. During races, Kimball’s personal manager, Kim Jackson, keeps watch over him as he speeds around the track, sometimes reaching speeds of 225 mph (362 km/h). “His glucose levels actually burn off while he’s driving, so we try to make sure he maintains an even level,” Jackson says. “We want that consistency so he can just concentrate on racing.”
