My name is Jay Handy and I am 38 years old. I have had diabetes since age 13. It has been 25 years of insulin therapy, watching diet, exercise regimens and suffering the raised eyebrows of others while ordering dessert.

Why am I a trekker with IDEA 2000? I have asked myself that question more than once. There is only a short list of summits I have climbed and there are no harrowing tales of being bivouacked to the side of mountain. No, I like to think of myself as the "accidental athlete." My desire to really get "off the couch" and get moving came about 3 years ago, after using the insulin pump to care for my diabetes. The pump has allowed me to control the disease for the first time in 22 years, so the tail no longer wags the dog. Although I have a long history of enjoying exercise such as mountain biking, long distance cycling, canoeing and hiking, the pump has relieved me of the constant rise and fall of insulin levels, thus opening up a whole new world of endurance activities. I took up running and completed a marathon in June 1999 in Kona, Hawaii, which was sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. While there, I discovered a whole community of folks with diabetes using pumps and celebrating their new lease on life. As a result, when I got invited to join the group to Aconcaugua, my immediate response was "sign me up." To be part of this team is a great honor for which I am very thankful. My goal is also to help promote awareness and improve the care of people with diabetes throughout South America.

When I am not training for a run or a climb, I spend time with the three best women in the world. My wife Kim (who crazily supports me in all my endeavors and is a marathon runner in her own right) and my daughters Schuyler, 6 years and Grace, 5 years old. We live in Madison, Wisconsin. When it comes to the 9 to 5 responsibilities, I have been a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch for the last 14 years.

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