I am a baby-boomer from Brooklyn, NY with a family history of diabetes. In 1961 at the age of 2, I developed the obvious symptoms of diabetes that my parents were warned about. The doctors told my parents that I'd be lucky to have a fairly productive life until 30 and spend the following years after 30 with increasingly worsening complications until 50, when I'd probably die.

  I lived my childhood life under the strictest oversight with an eating regimen, insulin, medical care and family support. The technology at that time was only relatively primitive and my parents' strict schedule was put in place in order to delay the ghastly forecast from the doctors.

  In the summer of 1965 and for 5 consecutive summers, I attended Camp NYDA (New York Diabetes Association), a camp specializing in diabetic children. I discovered with amazement that there were hundreds of other children like myself with diabetes. With this new found confidence, I learned how to give myself my own insulin injection at 6 years old with the recent invention at the time, a disposable syringe. I applied myself in school and sports and deep down I decided to challenge the odds in order to prove the prognosticators wrong. As a teenager, I jokingly referred to myself as both a jock and a nerd.

  Over the years, as the technology of controlling diabetes became increasingly advanced, I became able to have my life control the diabetes instead of diabetes controlling my life. I became highly involved with all kinds of competitive and leisure sports, outside activities, advanced education and civic organizations, all of which also served as a means of stabilizing my condition.

  There have been several unavoidable complications over the years of having this disease long term: retinopathy and cataracts, neuropathy, digestive issues, infection, weight fluctuations, unconsciousness from too low blood sugar, problems with insurance coverage, challenges with relationships, job discrimination, to mention a few. Struggling to overcome these hurdles came strength and better health through maturity, knowledge, fitness, technology and the will power to make it work as best as possible.

  I left New York and moved to California in 1984 to be able to break the bonds of tight family control and try my hand at my own self-care. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. All through this, sports and fitness was the one constant as my quest and desire for good health and quality of life was obtained.

  Now I'm in the best health I've ever had. After several episodes of deep introspection in 2007, the idea of Sugar Free Fitness came to life. I want to share my lifetime of knowledge, fitness goals, struggles, successes and information you won't read in a book about diabetes with other diabetics troubled by their condition. You no longer have to feel misunderstood or clash with the diabetic police. Who better to guide you, to vent to, and to help you be fit and live a quality life than someone who has been through all of it?