Tour De Cure Offers Experience For All Athletes

By Libby Smith

PARKER, Colo (CBS4) - The American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure is a celebration of those living with diabetes, and has a little something for everyone. This one-day event includes a bike ride, a 5K run/walk, and an extreme ninja course, which is new this year.

"I participate in the cycling event of it. So there's 4 different routes you can take. There's a 20K, a 50K, a 100K or a 100-mile. It's a really well supported ride, not a race," said Taryn Servold, a Type 1 diabetic, who's a long time participant and planner of the Tour de Cure.

The ADA's Tour de Cure in 2015 (credit CBS)

All routes end back at the Community Festival in Salisbury Park in Parker. The festival includes food, music, and activities.

"It's a huge event. It's a fun event. It's a lot of fun. You show up, there's music, there's food, there's vendors, there's people encouraging one another. It's not competitive, it's just a lot of fun," Servold explained.

LINK: Register for Tour de Cure

According to the American Diabetes Association, 416,301 Coloradans have diabetes, and another 1.34 million have prediabetes, which means they are exhibiting some of the signs of the disease but have not reached the threshold to be diabetic. Tour de Cure is a celebration of those people and their families.

The ADA's 5K Walk from 2015 (credit CBS)

"This right here is the Red Rider jersey, so all the participants who ride with diabetes get this jersey, and on the back it says, 'I ride with diabetes," Servold said while holding up a red bike jersey. "Which just tells everyone else out there on the course that they're the reason why you're out there, because of people riding with diabetes."

The ADA offers great fundraising incentives and prizes for all individual rides, walkers, and teams. There is a $200 fundraising minimum for each event, and the goal is to raise $1.4 million dollars. The money is used, in part, to fund the education and support programs at the ADA.

"It stays here in Colorado. It stays local to the American Diabetes Association, and it helps fund one of our 9 researchers who are looking for a cure. It helps send over 500 kids to camp," Servold said.

The ADA serves everyone living with diabetes including Type 1, Type 2, and pre-diabetes as well as their families. When a person is diagnosed with diabetes it means a lifetime of careful care, and it significantly impacts their entire family. Tour de Cure is an important event because it creates a sense of community.

The ADA's Health & Wellness Fair from 2015. (credit CBS)

"The American Diabetes Association's mission is a life free of diabetes and all its burdens. We want to stop diabetes. We want to prevent it from happening to future generations. We want to find a cure for the people who are living with it right now. We just want to end diabetes," Servold told CBS4.

Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.