Team Skyline’s Ryan DeWald Learns to Ride With Type 1 Diabetes

It can be shocking to hear a pro athlete announce they are battling a serious illness. Even with the tremendous amount of stress they put their bodies under from training and competing, they also tend to take care of their bodies far better than most people. It makes it harder when that athlete is also your friend.

I’ve known Ryan DeWald for over 20 years, going back to 7th grade at Exeter Junior High School. Back then, DeWald was tearing up the local dirt scene, racing a red Trek Y-22, while I tried desperately to keep up. He was tenacious and fearless on the bike, leaving many older competitors wondering who the kid was that just blew by them.

Cycling is DeWald’s life. His shop in Reading, PA, has become a hub for local cyclists and skateboarders. When the pedals start to turn in anger, his reputation among racers is one of being a consummate pro, affording him the respect of a veteran. DeWald has always taken his training seriously, eats right, and always finds ways to be positive, no matter what.

That’s why I was shocked when I saw the post on Facebook saying he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, with a picture of him in a hospital bed. I wasn’t shocked there was a smile on his face. Before I had a chance to talk to him, I knew he was already finding ways to turn what many would think of as a major, if not career ending setback, and into something positive and inspiring.

You can go back to the fall of 2013 for possible signs that something was wrong. I caught up with DeWald before his race at Stoudt’s Cross, the day after winning Swashbuckler Cross in Manheim, PA. Even then, he said he was feeling worn out, and attributed it to a long road season, followed by an active cyclocross campaign. He’s followed this pattern since 2008, and has given himself little down time between seasons.

“Maybe we were just getting older,” he said. “Maybe I’m not able to recover as fast as I used to.”

It turns out, he was wrong. More serious symptoms started to present themselves during the Team Skyline training camp in Texas and Florida.

While racing in Texas, DeWald didn’t have the same pop in his legs that he had in years past, which led to what he considered to be disappointing results. He thought he had not trained well enough during the historically extreme Pennsylvania winter, and continued to push his training to catch up.

In Florida, vision problems started to effect him. It seemed to get worse as the trip went on, leading to a minor crash during a training ride before the USA Crits event at Delray Beach. On the drive back to Pennsylvania, he couldn’t even read the signs on the highway. After six weeks on the road, and practically eating for two, he had lost over 20 pounds.

The final straw happened while making breakfast the day after he arrived home. DeWald dropped something, and crashed to the floor as he attempted to pick it up. He was able to see his family doctor that morning, with additional tests following later that day.

The next morning, he got the call directing him to go to the hospital, where a room was waiting for him. He has Type 1 Diabetes. His glycated hemoglobin (hbA1C) levels were off the charts, and fasting plasma glucose levels were over five times higher than normal. He was at serious risk of falling into a diabetic coma, and needed to be treated immediately to get back down to a normal level.

After almost two full days in the hospital, DeWald was released. In the weeks that followed, it has been a daunting task of navigating health insurance, hospital bills, and medical supplies, while continuing to train and manage the shop. It has been a learning experience learning how to manage his blood sugar levels both on or off the bike.

As it turns out, it is possible that he has been living with Type 1 diabetes for years. While reflecting on past seasons, he was able to note multiple instances where he was experiencing possible symptoms, but managed them through his diet and fitness. It could have potentially been catastrophic.

The outpouring from friends and the cycling community has been overwhelming. Diabetic cyclists, including some members of Team Novo-Nordisk (formerly Team Type 1) that DeWald has known for years, have contacted him offering support and advice on living and racing with Type 1 diabetes.

“I can’t keep up with it. It’s incredible. My phone is constantly ringing, I’m getting texts, emails, Facebook messages,” explains DeWald. “It really means a lot, I wish I had more time to respond to everyone.”

DeWald has not let it get in the way of his goals for the season. In his first race since the diagnosis, he placed second in the Cat 1/2/3 race at the 27th Annual Daniel Harwi Memorial Lower Providence Spring Classic Critium, ahead of local pros John Minturn (CRCA/The Weather Channel), Jackie Simes (Pure Energy Racing), Michael Chauner (Champion Systems), and Scott Zwizanski (Optum Pro Cycling). The following week, accompanied by teammate Garrett Olsen, the pair policed the Cat 1/2/3 race at the Philadelphia Naval Yard Crit, taking second and third respectively, behind Olympic track racer Bobby Lea (SeaSucker/Guttenplan Coaching).

The journey is far from over for DeWald. Beyond continuing to learn how to manage his glucose levels, he still has his sights set on strong results in the USA Crits series, especially at the Air Force Cycling Classic in Washington D.C., and the Iron Hill Twilight Crit in West Chester, PA.

“It’s just another part of my story,” said DeWald. “I can let it get the best of me and control my life, or I can keep pushing forward. I want to race my bike, and I’m not going to let it stop me.”