Kris Freeman

Part 1: Being diagnosed with diabetes, his thoughts about his performance so far, what it would take for him to medal, Kris' positive message for people with diabetes. (3:19)

Part 2: Learning about diabetes (need to be consistent: semicolons or commas-usually semicolons separate complete sentence or items that themselves contain commas) advancements in treatment, using the OneTouch® Ultra® Meter, how much Kris trains, his favorite part of the race and his favorite race. (2:57)

Part 3: Two types of cross-country skiing, how many pairs of skis Kris travels with, what happens after the Olympic Winter Games, when and where he trains. (3:08)

Part 4: Representing the U.S. and the diabetes community, managing "feeds" (food during the event), dealing with the "bonk" (exhaustion) and coaches. (3:31)

Part 5: A typical race day, food as fuel, "I'm just a skier trying to win." (3:19)

Part 6: You can do anything with diabetes, why Kris likes working with LifeScan, prediction for the 50-kilometer race. (1:52)

Kris Freeman Audio Interview: Diabetes Diagnosis and the Winter Games Experience
Feb. 22, 2006, from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy
Part 1 (3:19): Hi, my name's Kris Freeman. I'm a U.S. Olympian cross-country skier. And I'm up here at Sestriere at the 2006 Olympics. [Ambient sound of enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing.]

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, the first several doctors that I saw told me that my career as an elite endurance athlete was over. [They said] that no one had ever done this before, that it wasn't possible and that I just needed to find something else that I wanted to do. I was in the midst of training for the 2002 Olympics. At that time, I had stopped going to college; I had moved to Park City to train full time with the U.S. Ski Team. So I had really committed my whole life to this and obviously that was not something I wanted to hear. So it was never an option for me to stop skiing. I didn't care what the doctors said. I did as much research as I could. I learned as much as I could about the disease. I learned about the treatments for the disease. I learned about diet and how to control diabetes through diet. And I came up with the answer that I could do this. Just because nobody had ever done it before didn't mean that I couldn't be a world-class endurance athlete with diabetes. [Enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing.]

The Olympics, so far, have gone OK. I've had two races here and I've performed good in both of those races. But they weren't great. But I didn't come in as a medal favorite. I came in as a medal possibility. And in order for me to take a medal everything would've had to go perfect on my race days and everything went good, instead of perfect. So I can't complain. And I'll definitely be back in four more years when I will be at the level where good will be medal. [Enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing.]

Good means that I perform at the level that I'm at and not lower. And I performed strongly, but I didn't do anything spectacular at these games. An excellent race for me right now would be a top-five performance or a medal. And then anything down to about 20th place is a good performance for me. [Enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing.]

I get the thoughts that, "Oh my god I'm at the Olympics." Sometimes I'm thinking, you know, everything didn't go perfectly here. I didn't get the medal I was hoping I would get. But then I realize that I am here at the Olympics and this isn't going to be my last one, either. That's pretty amazing to think about that I'm living a really amazing life. I'm traveling around the world all year long chasing the snow, and chasing the racing and training and going to many of the most beautiful places in the world. Changing time zones every other day. It's an exciting life, it's a rewarding life, sometimes it's a hard life. Right now at the Olympics it's a very blessed life.

As people realize that you can do anything with this disease it'll become more and more common to see diabetics at the top of everything. It's a very treatable disease and there's no reason it should stop you from doing anything.

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Kris Freeman Audio Interview: Diabetes Management
Feb. 22, 2006, from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy
Part 2 (2:57): Hi, my name's Kris Freeman. I'm a U.S. Olympian; cross country skier. And I'm up here at Sestriere at the 2006 Olympics. [Ambient sound of enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing.]

Being diabetic and competing at this level has definitely forced me to learn more about nutrition and more about what the body needs to perform at the highest levels. So in that sense it has made me stronger. It also made me realize, when I was diagnosed, the first things I thought about was, "Oh my God how am I going to keep skiing?" When you get a realization like that and realize how important this is to you, it makes it easier to dedicate everything you've got to it.

One of things I actually found very encouraging was just how much the treatments had increased, had gotten better, in the last decade. Just watching what LifeScan, for example, had done with their glucose monitors: pocket-sized monitors that you can get, that give you a reading in five seconds. This was a revolution in diabetes management. And I thought that the doctors that I saw, at first, they were just stuck in the old times. They didn't really realize what was capable, what was possible, with fast-acting insulin, with pocket-sized glucose monitors and just with good diet discipline

I've used the OneTouch® Ultra® Glucose Monitor right since I was diagnosed. From the first time…the doctor that told me I couldn't compete, actually gave me the Ultra. Which in the long run was one of the things that inspired me to keep going--the fact that such good treatments now existed. I test with that from 3 to 15 times per day depending on how well my blood sugar is under control.

In an endurance sport the more you train, the more hours you put in (I train about 800 to 900 hours per year) [the more] that training builds on itself. I get stronger from one year to the next. And because of that I will continue to get stronger until my early 30s. And that's typically when people start racking up their medal count. In 2010 my base level will be much better. And who knows, I might go to 2014.

My favorite part of the race is actually afterwards. Afterwards when you realize that you just had a great race; that's the best feeling. You go out there and you are just…I'm just hammering. Every part of my body hurts. You use every major muscle group and you're at your maximum heart rate utilizing as much oxygen as you possibly can for whatever the duration of the race is. To actually call the racing part "fun" would be a stretch of the word. But finishing it, and knowing that you just went out and gave it your all and had a great race--that's what it's about.

[One] race that springs right to mind was when I won the under-23 World Championships. I mean that race was fantastic. I skied right away from the field and I won a 30k by two minutes, which is a huge amount. And I just finished that race and I was like, "Wow!" That was a fantastic effort. This is what I'm capable of. And I'm just striding for the time when I can do that on the Olympic playing field.

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Kris Freeman Audio Interview: The Sport of Cross-country Skiing
Feb. 22, 2006, from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino Italy
Part 3 (3:08): Hi, my name's Kris Freeman. I'm a U.S. Olympian; cross country skier. And I'm up here at Sestriere at the 2006 Olympics. [Enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing]

There are two different types of cross-country skiing. There's classical technique, which is the typical cross-country skier that people think of. It's more of the walking motion, the running motion. And then there's freestyle skiing, which looks more like speed skating with poles. And there are many different distances. There are actual six medal events at the Olympic Games. Two of those are sprint events, which are 1.5k or shorter. And then the other events are the 15k and the 30k pursuit, which actually combines both events. You start with a 15k classic race and then you have a transition just as in a triathlon and you switch to skate technique for another 15k. And then there's also the 4x10k relay and the 50k freestyle, which I have yet to compete in [but will] on Sunday. [Celebratory cheering.]

I'm currently traveling with about 25 pairs of skis. I think I have 10 pairs of skate-no, 12 pairs of skate skis--and13 pairs of classic skis. You've got to have different skis for different conditions and different temperatures in the air, [and] different snow temperatures. If it's colder you need a finer grind on your skis. If it's warmer you need a more aggressive grind; bigger grooves in the bottoms of your skis. And then also within that if the snow is firm you need stiffer skis and if it's softer you need softer skis. So I've gotten a whole array of skis just for any given condition. I grew up skiing on my brother's hand-me-downs. And the idea of traveling with 25 pair of skis was just unheard of to me. I was just hoping that some day I could have one pair of the best skis.

After the Olympics here I'll be going to Scandinavia for two weeks and then Japan for a week. And then on my return I'll compete in a 50k classical race in Maine on March 26. But from about March 26 to mid-April I'll take off, and then about April 20 the train takes right off again. There's no real downtime. I just take those three weeks to make sure that I get my body back to 100% after all the punishment and travel that I put it through.

I actually train more hours, more volume, in the summer than I do in the winter because in the winter I'm always traveling and resting to get ready for the races. So the most training I do is between the months of July and the end of October: those would be the biggest months of the year. And in that [time] I'd be roller-skating, some biking, a lot of running, [and] there's some weight lifting. And usually at the end of July we head to New Zealand for about three and a half weeks. It's winter down there in our summertime, and it's actually some of the nicest skiing I do all year. Like I said, in the winter I'm always racing, so I don't get that many opportunities to just go out and ski for as long as I want to. But in New Zealand it's not uncommon for me to put in about 90 hours of skiing in that month.

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Kris Freeman Audio Interview: The Racing Experience
Feb. 22, 2006, from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino Italy
Part 4 (3:31): Hi, my name's Kris Freeman. I'm a U.S. Olympian; cross country skier. And I'm up here at Sestriere at the 2006 Olympics. [Enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing]

You definitely have the feeling you are representing the U.S., and you want to represent the U.S. as best you can. I also feel that I'm representing the diabetic community a little bit, in that I'm the only diabetic here and I'm performing at the highest level. And you know, nobody treats me any different. You wouldn't know I was diabetic unless someone told you and I think that's important. I hope that a lot of the kids around the world with diabetes know that I'm here and know that I'm competing with the best in the world.

In shorter ski races, athletes-cross-country skiers-don't tend to take "feeds." Feeds are sport drinks that a coach will hand to you at the top of a downhill section so you can drink,[and] get glucose into your body, without losing any time. In shorter ski races, athletes (most cross country skiers) do not take feeds. Sometimes I do. I always have feeds on the course, just in case I may end up having a problem. My coaches are there and prepared. I usually don't take those feeds. But in longer races, anything 18 miles and longer, then in those races I take a feed about every three miles, which would be about six ounces of sports drink: Gatorade® or something like that. And that's something all athletes do. Some feed more and some need less depending on their individual needs for fuel. I mean, if you're racing for an hour and a half you just, you've got to keep your glucose levels up. And it's the same for a diabetic and I've found a routine that works for me.

"Bonking" is a word endurance athletes use to describe when their bodies run out of sugar in their muscles to fuel themselves going forward. This happens, typically, about an hour into a race if you don't have any fuel, if you haven't been fueling yourself in any way during the race with sugar. Obviously, bonking can happen to me at any time because my body doesn't have a natural regulatory system for this. So I can bonk from a low blood sugar caused by medicine rather than by exercise. And the [ones due to] medicines I typically come out of much faster--just get some sugar and you feel great, you're back to normal. It's when your body really depletes itself exercising that you get a bonk that stays with you. In the last five years I've had two races with medically induced bonks. The first one was because an inexperienced person was handing me my feed and I missed it. And I really needed it at that time. Since then, you know, I've practiced the exchanges with my coaches and I always get the feed when I need it. The second time I was just trying something different with my insulin in an unimportant race. And it didn't work, so I didn't do it again.

My coaches are very aware that I am diabetic and they carry glucagon kits with in case I ever do lose consciousness from a low blood sugar episode. I've never actually lost consciousness at any point since being diagnosed. They also always inform the head medical person at the race venue, were something to happen, so that they're aware of it. But they've never had to do anything extra.

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Kris Freeman Audio Interview: Race Preparation (Food and Insulin)
Feb. 22, 2006, from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games
Part 5 (3:19): On a race morning I'm making adjustments and monitoring my blood sugar as much as I could. I do as much preparation in the days beforehand to get an idea of what is going to happen with the blood sugars so that I can take the insulin at breakfast and hopefully be OK by the time I get to the race. However, that's almost impossible to gauge perfectly. So if it's too low I have a sport drink. Or I use PowerBar® or PowerGel® products to keep my blood sugar up as the race goes forward. I mean if it's too high, I will take a Humalog® fast-acting insulin to lower it as I get closer and closer to the race. I don't like to have to make any adjustments within the last 20 minutes. So I always try to have that dialed in. And of course I test my blood sugar as often as I need to, to make sure it's going to be perfect. If my blood sugar's at the level I like it, which is between 100-120 (mg/dL) before I start the race, I know I won't have a problem during the race. And I can't afford to stop and test in a race that is typically won by only a few seconds after 9 miles of racing.

Before a ski race there's obviously a lot of stresses on you. And I need to evaluate what those stresses are a few days in advance. I like to look at what the altitude is, how that altitude is affecting my reaction to the blood, to insulin, how insulin-sensitive I am, how much stress I'm in. Because every stress will affect the way your body is reacting to insulin. So the first thing I have to do is figure out how much insulin, how much long-acting insulin I need to use the night before the race, so that I'll be dialed in the next morning when I take my short-acting with breakfast.

And of course, I test with the LifeScan OneTouch® Ultra® [Blood Glucose Meter] religiously throughout the day in order to dial in the amount of insulin that I need. I also like to see what foods are available. My preference is oatmeal, and unfortunately Italians don't seem to know what oatmeal is. So I've had to make due with Muesli at this Olympics.

Well eating is fuel for me. Food is what keeps the body strong and gives it the energy to do what it needs to do and it's what gives it the recovery that you need to have. I just look at food as fuel because it makes taking care of my diabetes easier. If I eat something I don't need that is typically the time it makes it harder to control blood sugar. People say, "Oh, you can't eat this cake because you're diabetic." I could eat the cake. There's no one stopping me. I could take a bunch of insulin and eat that cake. But because it's such a high glycemic food, I'd get a spike in my blood sugar followed by a quick drop when I eat cake or have a Coca-Cola®. So I just choose not to. If I have a piece of whole wheat bread, which is full of fiber and good, natural ingredients, the curve would just be a nice gradual arc rather than the spike you get with simple sugars and desserts.

I'm really no different during the race. It's only about the preparation that is different. And afterwards, you know, I test my blood sugar and I'll take insulin accordingly. But during that race I don't think of myself as a diabetic, I'm just another ski racer out there trying to win.

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Kris Freeman Audio Interview: My Potential
Feb. 22, 2006 from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino Italy
Part 6 (1:52): Hi, my name's Kris Freeman. I'm a U.S. Olympian; cross country skier. And I'm up here at Sestriere at the 2006 Olympics. [Enthusiastic cheering and cowbells ringing]

There's no reason why any diabetic can't do anything that they want to in the world; any sport, any job. Diabetes doesn't have to stop you from doing anything. It's just about taking accountability for your disease, learning as much as you can about it, eating the right foods, balancing it with insulin and testing. Testing is the key. If you know where you're at then you're not going to have a problem. You're not going to have a low spell, you're not going to have high blood sugars because you'll know what your blood sugar is at and you can control it.

I like working with LifeScan because I've seen that they are very active in trying to educate younger people with diabetes. Trying to get them out the door and to just go out and live as normal a life as they possibly can. I think that's really important. I think that educating parents and the children with diabetes about what is possible and how to take the best care of themselves is very important. I'm glad that LifeScan does that and I'm glad to be a part of that. [Cowbells and cheering]

The 50k races are not typically my best, because as I mentioned earlier, older skiers tend to get stronger and that tends to show up more in the longer races, like 50k. So, I've never had a fantastic 50k but I can't think of a reason why… maybe this [Olympic event] will be the great 50k that I've been looking for. I've already been testing my blood sugar more than usual--testing certain different meals for breakfast and for lunch to get myself ready for that race. I'm trying to get as many carbohydrates as I can get in there because I'm going to have--there's no way around it--a two-and-half-hour race. You're going to have a real bonk and I want to make sure that doesn't happen until the very end.

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