Massachusetts Kids With Diabetes Get Elevated at Wachusett Mountain With Pro Snowboarder and Type 1 Diabetes Hero Sean Busby

PRINCETON, MA--(Marketwire - Jan 31, 2013) - Local kids and teens will soon learn how to shred down the mountain and balance blood sugars in the second annual Riding on Insulin East Coast Ski/Snowboard Camp (http://ridingoninsulin.org), taking place February 2nd at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, Massachusetts.

Riding On Insulin (ROI) is an international nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Sean Busby, a twenty-eight year-old professional snowboarder living with type 1 diabetes. The camps are held all over the world, and promote courage and confidence while teaching kids and youth with type 1 diabetes that they can overcome mental and physical challenges through teamwork.

"ROI fosters a winter sport and snowboarding environment where youth living with diabetes may share tips on managing it and make new friends who are just like them," said Sean Busby, founder of Riding on Insulin, who manages his diabetes with the OmniPod® Insulin Management System. "I always find myself learning from the campers who come to my camps. Sharing our experiences with others is the best medicine!"

Forty-eight kids living with type 1 diabetes, age 7-17 from Boston and beyond will experience this one-day program with ski and snowboard instructors trained in diabetes management. Siblings are also welcome to attend and participate in the camp and parents are encouraged to enjoy the mountain at their leisure or network with other parents in attendance.

"Diabetes is truly a family disease -- the entire family is affected the day a child or teen is diagnosed with Type 1," says Riding on Insulin Executive Director, Mollie Busby. "That's what sets our camp apart from others -- the ability to have the entire family in attendance and learn from one another."

Sean is also the newest inductee in the Diabetes Hall of Honor at the UMass Memorial Health Care Diabetes Center of Excellence. The Hall of Honor displays a photo gallery and inspirational quotes from notable public figures, athletes and musicians who have the disease, and is a reminder to patients that living with diabetes doesn't have to limit their potential.

"Wachusett is thrilled to be involved with the Riding on Insulin event for second straight year and helping provide an opportunity for kids with Type I Diabetes to stay active in a healthy winter sport environment," said Wachusett Mountain General Manager David Crowley. "We are pleased to support their effort and very proud to be one of the participating mountains."

Other ROI upcoming events include: Snow Summit, Southern California (2/9); Chestnut Mountain Resort, IL. (2/16); Eagle Point Resort, Utah (2/9).

About Sean Busby And Riding On Insulin:
After enduring complicated diabetes diagnosis at age 19, professional snowboarder Sean Busby didn't know if it would still be possible to snowboard at high altitude levels and considered retiring from the sport. While reading stories of children who had been living with Type 1 since birth, he began to realize how fortunate he was for having been free of the disease for the first nineteen years of his life and was empowered to give back to those kids as they were the catalyst for him to continue snowboarding. Thus, in 2004 Riding On Insulin was founded. The camps promote courage and confidence and show youth with Type 1 diabetes that they may overcome the mental and physical challenges that are often accompanied with the disease. For more information, www.ridingoninsulin.org. 

About Type 1 Diabetes (from American Diabetes Association)
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5-10% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even young children with Type 1 diabetes can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy, happy lives.

About the OmniPod Insulin Management System
The OmniPod® Insulin Management System is the world's first tubeless insulin pump. The OmniPod offers people living with insulin-requiring diabetes all the benefits of insulin pump therapy, with freedom and ease. The tubing-free OmniPod insulin pump has just two easy-to-use parts: the discreet, waterproof Pod, which automatically inserts and can be worn on many parts of the body to hold and deliver insulin; and the Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM), a hand-held device that wirelessly programs the Pod, calculates suggested doses and has a built-in blood glucose meter. For more information on the OmniPod insulin pump, please visit: http://www.myomnipod.com.