KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Facing down diabetes, Linton uses Iditarod to inspire

Facing down diabetes, Linton uses Iditarod to inspire

by Kevin Wells
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

KASILOF, Alaska -- Being an insulin-dependent diabetic hasn't prevented Bruce Linton from finishing anything.

The Kasilof musher has completed 12 marathons and three Ironman triathlons. And he understands finishing the Iditarod is an accomplishment under any circumstances.

"It's always a pretty emotional moment to realize, ‘I just made it across the State of Alaska," he said.

But his journey involves more than trail navigation. Linton is a type 1 diabetic.

"Having low blood sugar or being hypoglycemic can be deadly rather quickly," Linton said.

Around-the-clock involvement in race duties forces Linton to be reliant on technology.

"What I use is an insulin pump, and it pumps insulin in me 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "I can put my blood sugars in here and take, say, 15 grams of carbs. If I eat 15 grams of carbs, I push that button, 1.0 units of insulin will go into my body that way."

In 2008 the glucose monitoring system provided a blood sugar reading every five minutes, helping Linton cut four days off his rookie Iditarod time. He battle-tested his glucose monitoring system so it could function in even the most hellacious elements -- it survived the Knik 200, where temperatures reached minus-50.

"And that gave me a lot more confidence to go out of a checkpoint at 3 in the morning," he said.

Linton talks of his love of dogs and the land -- "Just love the smell of the cold air, and how it feels out here" -- and how success in the Iditarod can give him a platform for encouraging diabetics to remain active.

The Discovery Channel featured Linton and the management of his diabetes in a multi-part series on the Iditarod over the summer, "Toughest Race on Earth."

"What happened was I got some e-mails from diabetics, and I realized I could do something for the common good," he said. "I got like 600 e-mails my first Iditarod.

"There's a mother from Nome and her 5-year-old daughter got diagnosed, she wants her daughter to meet me in Nome, so she can see she doesn't have to be limited by her disease."

The will to overcome: conquering the rigors of The Last Great Race.

Coming Wednesday: A profile of Willow's Ramey Smyth, who is coming off a career-high third place.

Contact Kevin Wells at kwells@ktuu.com