Children at Poudre Valley Hospital’s Camp Sweetpea gathered in awe around a hero Friday afternoon, soaking up every opportunity to learn from one of their own.
The campers and Kris Freeman, an Olympic cross country skier, have at least one thing in common: They are living with Type 1 diabetes.
Since his diagnosis 10 years ago, Freeman has made it his goal to share his journey as an Olympic athlete with diabetes with children across the United States, hoping they will realize that anything is possible.
“You get a lot of people telling kids what they can’t do,” Freeman said. “I think the opposite message should be sent, that they should be telling them what they can do and the dreams they have are possible and they should go for them.”
Freeman said children often hear negative messages from doctors when they are diagnosed. It is his mission to be a positive voice and example, reminding them that even with diabetes anything is possible for them.
“Diabetes does not have to get in the way of your dreams and goals,” Freeman said. “If you take care of yourself, you can aspire to be whatever you want.”
The statement could not be more personal for Freeman, who was faced with adversity when he was diagnosed while training with the U.S. ski team in Park City, Utah. Skiing in the Olympics had been a lifelong goal for Freeman, who raced for the first time when he was 5 years old.
While in Park City, he began to experience diabetes symptoms but thought the symptoms were merely a result of his intensive training cycle. During a routine blood test, doctors discovered that Freeman??the campers that his journey with diabetes has not always been easy, but that with proper planning and making good choices, they would be able to achieve anything. Most importantly, he reminded them, they should never get angry with their situation.
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