MILPITAS, Calif. April 15, 1996 -- The first recipients of the LifeScan Prize for Athletic Achievement were announced at the 1996 International Conference of the International Diabetic Athletes Association (IDAA) held in Tempe, Arizona, this month.

Funded by LifeScan, the leading manufacturer of blood glucose meters for people with diabetes and administered by the IDAA, a non-profit organization whose members include persons with diabetes as well as healthcare professionals, this $20,000 prize is awarded to athletes with diabetes who have distinguished themselves as role models for healthy living.

This year's winners include: U.S. triathlete and award-winning marathon cyclist Pratt Rather; blind alpine skier, Klaudia Birkner, also from the U.S.; an arctic explorer Erick Gonzalez Fritsche, from Mexico. Each winner receives $6,600 toward training, competing and achieving further athletic success. In addition, honorable mentions were awarded to climber Ernest Blade from Spain, marathoner Dawn Kenright from the United Kingdom, and triathlete Damon Nemish from Canada.

"The dedication, talent and accomplishments of this year's recipients are inspiring," said Anthony DeLizza, director of professional and government affairs at LifeScan. "The fact that these athletes happen to have diabetes makes their achievements all the more impressive. It is the reason we recognize and honor their contribution to both the diabetes and athletic communities," he concluded.

The nomination process begins each fall, with the winners announced annually at the IDAA Conference the following spring. Applications are available by calling 1 800 898-IDAA, or by writing to the IDAA at 1647 West Bethany Home Road, #B, Phoenix, AZ 85015.

Founded in 1985, the IDAA is a non-profit service organization whose members include individuals from all over the world with diabetes who participate in fitness activities at all levels, as well as healthcare professionals and anyone interested in the relationship between diabetes and sports. IDAA chapters exist in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Greece.

LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company, is committed to improving the quality of life for people with diabetes by providing a complete family of blood glucose monitoring products to meet different testing needs. Frequent self-monitoring of blood glucose is the key to successful diabetes care. Blood glucose test results help people with diabetes and their healthcare professionals determine the effectiveness of prescribed medication, diet and exercise regimens.

LifeScan's OneTouch^® Systems are recommended by more physicians, diabetes educators and pharmacists than any other brand. Every day more than two million people with diabetes rely on LifeScan blood glucose monitoring systems for simple testing and accurate results.

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