When he was still a baby of just 7 months to Phil Southerland he was discovered that he suffered from diabetes, it was the year 1982.
It was then the bicycle, during his childhood, which became his best ally to achieve greater control of the disease.
Already at the university he became friends with another cyclist, Joe Eldridge, whom he motivated to follow his example.
When he achieved it, he understood that he could do it on another scale and in 2004 he formed the team composed of cyclists with and without diabetes that today, sponsored by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, became a team of the Second World Division (Continental Professional).
In a few more days this Team will run the San Luis tour, seeking to raise awareness although without neglecting the idea of giving a surprise in sports.
"Diabetes does not favor me at all to be a cyclist, but it doesn't harm me much either. I am not indurain, but I defend myself," says the Spanish Javier Megías, who in 2007 showed the world that a diabetic could compete and win (whatHe did in the first stage of the Tour of Chihuahua, Mexico).
At that time not all the cyclists of the team had the disease but today.There are 18 in total, from 11 different countries.Together with Megías there will be another Spaniard, David Lozano, but also two French, Nicolás Lefrancois and Charles Planet;an Italian, Andrea Peron;and a Dutchman, Martijn verse.
At present, in the world there are 382 million people living with diabetes.Many of them, after being diagnosed, believe they cannot continue to lead the same life.But there are thousands of cases that show that it is possible to maintain the same activities and meals, only with some care.
The Novo Nordisk is the new proof that, with talent and determination, nothing is able to frustrate the dreams of doing high competition sports.
"We run to change diabetes," says those responsible for the team."Our goal is to obtain the best possible results while inspired, educating and training people affected by diabetes. It is our mission," says Southerland.
"We have to take care of a little more than the rest of the cyclists, but we can make a normal life," adds Megías and then explains the problem."In us, the pancreas does not manufacture insulin and glucose does not reach the cells, which are the ones that manufacture energy," he says.
Of course, new technologies make competitive life easier."We carry a subcutaneous chip that continuously measures glucose levels. It's nothing annoying, it's like a hair and you have to change it every seven days," he explains.
Bluetooth via, runners can see at all times the levels in an apparatus they carry in a pocket."If they go down a lot, I have to eat; and if they go up, endure. But I no longer suffer the birds (fainting) before, when I was blindly and after five hours with the high glucose he wore the legs bursting for lack of insulin,"account.
In San Luis they will compete again.But the most important thing will be to leave a legacy and give an example: you can.