Ravenna teen won’t let diabetes put brakes on future plans

Via Akron Beacon Journal
August 2, 2014

Autumn Wright is determined to not let diabetes slow her down.

Wright, 18, of Ravenna, is meeting professional race car driver Charlie Kimball before his race Sunday in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in Lexington.

Wright and Kimball share a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. With this rarer form of the disease, usually diagnosed in children or young adults, the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin.

Kimball, 29, races as a member of the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team. Along with sponsoring Kimball, Novo Nordisk makes the insulin he has injected every day to control his diabetes since being diagnosed in 2007.

Or, as he sometimes jokes, “They’re a sponsor close to my heart and my pancreas.”

Kimball often shares his experiences with diabetes during speaking engagements and meet-and-greet events at his races to raise awareness and help others through Novo Nordisk’s Race with Insulin initiative.

“It’s a great way to drive awareness that diabetes doesn’t have to slow you down,” he said.

Wright was asked to participate in this weekend’s big IndyCar Series race and meet with Kimball by the Northeast Ohio chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The teen and her family have been active participants in the organization’s walks and other fundraising events since shortly after she was diagnosed with diabetes at age 8.

“It’s good to get people aware about it,” she said. “If we could spread more awareness, maybe more people would be willing to donate so there would be a cure.”

When the foundation contacted her about a week ago and asked if she would be interested in meeting Kimball as part of a promotional event at the race this weekend, the recent Ravenna High School graduate immediately agreed.

She watches races with her grandfather, Harold Hedrick of Ravenna, who’s an avid racing fan and told her all about Kimball.

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