For one medically retired U.S. Air Force captain, running the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 5 wasn’t simply an endurance race.
Griffin Ramsdell, 36, of Beaverton Oregon tackled the 26.2-mile marathon to raise awareness for Type I and Type 2 diabetes while proving anything is possible. It was his first marathon since being diagnosed with Type I diabetes nine years ago.
Ramsdell served in the Air Force from 2009 to 2014 as a navigator. Shortly after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan in 2013, he began losing weight and not feeling like himself. A visit to the doctor revealed he had Type I diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition and unlike Type 2 diabetes, it can happen to anyone, anytime and anywhere. Ramsdell said his diagnosis was a surprise.
“My family does have a history somewhat of autoimmune diseases, but I thought I might have a bug, but not diabetes. All things considered, it could be a lot worse, too.”
Ramsdell said many others have worse diseases Type I diabetes. He said his condition does not really stop him from living life to the fullest.
“Right when I got diabetes, I wasn’t allowed to fly anymore, I wasn’t allowed to deploy. I was medically retired almost one year to the day that I was diagnosed.”
Ramsdell said making the transition from the military to civilian world was doubly challenging due to his diagnosis.
“It was a bit like flying your airplane as your building it kind of thing,” he said. “You definitely had to figure out what the next steps were in a hurry.”
Ramsdell technology and medical devices to control his diabetes and has a set of protocols he uses to ensure that he can run safely.
“This is my first marathon since my diagnosis,” he said. “I ran three previously, this is my fourth one.”
Ramsdell began looking for a charity to partner with in order to run the New York Marathon. He was one of 50 runners selected by the Beyond Type Team, a program of global diabetes nonprofit Beyond Type I, to participate in the event.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
