Windsor runner takes on New York City Marathon while managing Type 1 diabetes

Windsor resident Leah Healey plans to run Sunday’s New York City Marathon with a goal that goes beyond the finish line: demonstrating that Type 1 diabetes does not have to prevent people from taking on difficult physical challenges. The 29-year-old has spent 10 months preparing and hopes to complete the race in less than six hours, requiring a pace of roughly 13 minutes and 40 seconds per mile.

Her preparation has required managing medical needs alongside the demands of distance running. During one long workout on the Poudre Trail, her insulin pump fell out, forcing her to end the run and ask her husband to pick her up. Even careful planning, Healey said, cannot eliminate the frustration of unexpected changes in how her diabetes behaves.

Diagnosed at age 7, Healey has long pursued sports while managing the condition. She played club volleyball and high school tennis, spending two years as the Fort Collins Lambkins’ top singles player. Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps convert sugar from food into energy. The Centers for Disease Control’s latest National Diabetes Statistics Report estimates that 2.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease.

Healey will compete with the 80-member Beyond Type Run team, a program run by her employer, the nonprofit Beyond Type 1. The organization works to improve life for people affected by diabetes. Its marathon team includes runners with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, along with caregivers and supporters.

Supporting the team at last year’s New York race inspired Healey to attempt the marathon herself. Her preparation included the Bolder Boulder 10K in May and the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half-Marathon in August. She sees the event as an opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes before a global audience while pursuing a personal athletic challenge.

Also joining the team is Berthoud resident Cecilia Jamieson, a longtime certified diabetes and education specialist who helped care for Healey after her diagnosis. Jamieson said misconceptions persist despite the achievements of professional and Olympic athletes with Type 1 diabetes, including mistaken beliefs that the condition results from poor food choices or insufficient exercise.

Jamieson remembers Healey’s early involvement in helping other children with diabetes. Both volunteered at a diabetes camp, and Healey sold jewelry and organized school fundraisers to help purchase insulin pumps for children whose families could not afford them. Jamieson views her marathon effort as another example of the active lives people with the condition can lead.

Healey’s preparation also follows torn ligaments in her left knee several years ago and a broken foot. She credits cross-training, recovery and attention to her body with keeping her free of injury throughout marathon training. On race day, maintaining stable blood sugar will be essential, because levels that rise or fall too far could force her to stop.

For Healey, the message behind the effort remains straightforward: “you can do hard things even with having diabetes.” Sunday’s race offers a chance to put that belief into practice.