TEAM TYPE 1 HIGHLIGHTS

Joe Eldridge and Phil Southerland of Team Type 1

About Team Type 1

Founded in 2004,Team Type 1 (TeamT1), is the fulfilled dream of two young men with Type 1 diabetes -- Phil Southerland (right) and Joe Eldridge (left). Now each 25 years of age, they are living proof of living well with diabetes.

Diagnosed at seven months of age, Southerland learned to manage the disease through years of being a competitive athlete. His earliest days with diabetes meant urine and ketone testing instead of the blood-sugar measurements available today. Better tools developed over his life, such as improved insulin, blood-glucose monitoring and wireless pumps, provided safer management of his diabetes. With the support of his mother and younger brother, Southerland excelled as a natural athlete, pursuing racquetball, baseball,football and soccer. At age 13, he discovered a passion for cycling that led him to compete at the University of Georgia.

This is where he met his TeamT1 partner, Joe Eldridge. Diagnosed at age 10, Eldridge was the first juvenile diabetic in his family’s history. He played soccer and football before getting hooked by competitive cycling at Auburn University. He met Southerland at an Auburn-University of Georgia cycling race. They found themselves competing not only in cycling but who had the best blood-sugar control.

Southerland and Eldridge discovered a shared goal: Show the world that people with Type 1 diabetes not only can manage their vitals and excel physically, but they can also be the best.

©2008 teamtype1.org