A New York State of Mind

By Kelly Close

A blast from the past! I was delighted to learn recently that one of my very first bosses at Goldman Sachs – the wonderful and incredibly kind David M. Darst, Sr. – completed the New York City Triathlon last Sunday in support of the JDRF, along with his incomparably talented and equally kind son, David Darst Jr. David Sr. was one of my biggest champions in managing diabetes when I entered the work force, and I am honored to see that his commitment has not wavered one bit! He introduced me to his son way back then, who was definitely under 10 at the time. Since then, David Jr. has won an amazing business school entrepreneurial award (when he was a first year in college!), has founded a pharmaceutical company (also when he was still in college!), and today is a father himself and working to improve the planet. He takes after his father: David Sr. got Morgan Stanley – his current employer – to chip in and donate to JDRF. Anyone interested in supporting their efforts can visit their JDRF fundraising page here! Now that’s what I like to see ; >. Of course, David Sr. and David Jr. were just two of the thousands of athletes who braved the waves of the Hudson (1500 meter swim) before biking along Manhattan’s West Side highway (40 kilometer ride) and running through Central Park (10 more kilometers). Wow! Do you know anyone who competed with diabetes? They deserved a big shout out as well!

To David Sr., you continue to inspire me with your generosity. Supporting organizations like the JDRF and The diaTribe Foundation is SO critical to raising awareness for those whose lives are touched by diabetes. Thank you for setting such an amazing example for us all and thank you to any readers who can help them with their fundraising challenge!

For those also cut from the cycling cloth, there will be yet another opportunity to ride for those with type 1 at the Nashville JDRF Ride to Cure from October 29 – November 1, sign up if you’ll be in the area! Or sign up for one of JDRF’s other fantastic rides here (including Lake Tahoe, Greenville, and Tuscson), as well as ADA's Tour de Cure rides here. I’m hoping to do the Nashville one myself, in the hometown of David Sr., if I can get a hall pass from my kids and Johnny to miss Halloween! There, I’ll look to see Joe Cook, another amazing supporter of diaTribe and an incredible entrepreneur himself who runs NuSirt with Barbara Cannon – both people with diabetes who are trying to make metformin better for us (we met with this team at ADA and are excited to get more updates from them)! Thank you again to all my mentors for doing so much on the diabetes front – how lucky I am to know you.  

Very best,

Kelly Close