'Go, Amira, go!’ Brooklyn runner with Type 1 diabetes takes on her first NYC Marathon
On Sunday, Nov. 1, the Brooklyn native will bring that preparation to her first New York City Marathon, running with the nonprofit Beyond Type 1.
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When Amira Gee heads out for a run, she keeps track of more than her miles.
She checks her blood sugar, carries glucose gels and makes sure she has water. Her insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor are part of the routine, too.
On Sunday, Nov. 1, the Brooklyn native will bring that preparation to her first New York City Marathon, running with the nonprofit Beyond Type 1.
Getting to the starting line has been about nine years in the making.
Gee was a college senior when blood work for a life insurance application first showed she had diabetes. She said she was initially diagnosed with Type 2. A friend who had Type 1 encouraged her to see a specialist, leading to her Type 1 diagnosis.
No one else in her family had it. The news changed plans she had made for life after college, including joining the Peace Corps in Cameroon.
“A lot of my plans just stopped,” Gee said. “I had to become OK with the diagnosis, and then be OK with new plans and just a new path forward.”
Today, diabetes is also part of her research. Gee is a doctoral candidate at NYU’s School of Medicine, studying diabetes that is present before pregnancy.
Her path to running began with finding a community.
About two years ago, she attended Diabetes Training Camp, where she tried activities such as surfing, swimming and running with support from health care providers. The experience helped her see that she could do more than she had imagined.
Then, last year, she went to cheer on friends running the marathon with Beyond Type 1.
“Every day with diabetes feels like a marathon,” she said. “There’s so many highs and lows, and it requires endurance for the long haul.”
Watching her friends take on both challenges made her want to try.
When she signed up, Gee said, her main exercise was walking. Since then, she has spent about five months training with a coach. Her longest run has been 20 miles.
Along familiar Brooklyn blocks, she checks her glucose readings while passing places she has known since childhood. Her monitor sends readings to her devices — and to her mom, who helps keep an eye on them.
Her mother plans to cheer along the marathon route and carry backup supplies.
“She’s not looking at this as a disability,” her mother said. “She’s looking at this as an ability to do more.”
For Gee, the goal goes beyond finishing a race. She hopes someone watching will feel encouraged to pursue something that once seemed out of reach.
“You can set a goal that seems really difficult, but you can train yourself to do well in that thing,” she said.
She also wants people to know they can ask for support.
“It’s so important to surround yourself with other people who understand you, who will encourage you on the tough days, and who you can encourage when they have challenging days as well,” Gee said.
On Sunday, look for her Beyond Type 1 team in yellow jerseys. Her mom will be among those rooting her on: “Go, Amira, go!”
