Come join JDRF and local fitness icon Kevin Freeland of Body Focus Fitness & Performance for a chance to take a swing at Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas stops producing insulin – a hormone essential to turning food into energy.

• There are currently 1.25M Americans living with T1D including about 200,000 youth (less than 20 years old) and over a million adults (20 years old and older).

• Type 1 diabetes strikes both children and adults suddenly and is unrelated to diet and lifestyle. It requires constant carbohydrate counting, blood-glucose testing and lifelong dependence on injected insulin.

• Type 1 diabetes is growing, with 40,000 people diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone and 5 million people in the U.S. are expected to have T1D by 2050, including nearly 600,000 youth.

• JDRF is an international organization dedicated to raising funds to support research, clinical trials, and technological innovations that will not only one day lead to a cure for type 1 diabetes, advance and better the day to day treatment and care for those living the diesease until that cure is found.

WHAT & WHEN

On Saturday, October 22nd from 8:00am-12:00pm, participants will have the chance swing a large sledgehammer against massive tractor tires to determine who can achieve the most swings within a 5-minute period!

Categories for wielding a sledgehammer of various sizes include:

• Men’s (16 lbs.)

• Women’s (12 lbs.)

• Youth (5 lbs.)

• Male/Female Tandem Teams (Best Value!)

Prizes will be awarded in each category for participants with the highest # of swings within 5 minutes including fitness assessments, personal 1:1 training, Amazon Fire Sticks, Amazon Fire Tablets, and more!

Entry fees are $20 for male and female adult, $15 for youth (under 18) and $35 for tandem teams, with 100% of proceeds going towards the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes fundraising campaign the leading organization in funding Type 1 diabetes research.

WHERE

Body Focus Fitness and Performance

8400 S Kyrene Rd, Tempe, AZ 85284

Phone: (602) 849-5280

Founded in 2005, Body Focus Fitness & Performance is an independent personal training facility specializing in fitness, performance and corrective exercise programs. Kevin has trained athletes and aspiring athletes of all fitness levels including elite triathletes, dancers, cyclists, pro motocross athtletes, collegiate athletes and football players training for the NFL combine as well as busy working professionals trying to get a couple of highly effective work outs in a week or moms returning from maternity leave. Kevin is very knowledgeable about excercise and Type 1 diabetes and the nuances and challenges that can come with excercising and training while having Type 1 diabetes.

Please come and help us Hammer out Type 1 diabetes!

FAQs

Why did JDRF choose to partner with Body Focus Fitness & Performance?

Prior to this year’s event, Body Focus Fitness and Performance hosted “Hammer out Hunger” wherein the entry fee was a frozen turkey to benefit Andre House, a local ministry to the homeless and poor populations of the Phoenix area. “Building on the success of previous fundraising events, this is an opportunity to both provide awareness and raise funds for critical research that aims to well, hammer out Type 1 and I am honored to be a part of it” - Kevin Freeland, founder of the fitness studio in Tempe.

"This is a great opportunity to partner with a local fitness organization that has a history of not only developing some of the valley's strongest athletes but also has a track record of consistently giving back to the local Phoenix metro community" - Peter Ferry, JDRF Development Manager, Desert Southwest Chapter.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Please contact Kevin Freeland at 602-849-5280 or Rick G. Garibay at 602-369-1462, rickgaribay@hotmail.com or on twitter @rickggaribay

This sounds like a great cause. I'm In. But, I'm not comfortable sharing my credit card online. Can I still participate?

Of course! While we can assure you that the payments on this registration site are secure, we are happy to accept cash for walk-up registration. We will also be able to accept credit cards the day of, but recommend you purchase your tickets ahead of time to avoid any wait times.

I'd like to participate and support this great cause but am not available for the event. How can I help?

We are so glad you asked! Every dollar donated for this event will go toward funding critical Type 1 Diabetes research as part of the annual JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. If you can't make the event but would like to donate, please visit http://bit.ly/jdrf2016donate and make a donation. Every dollar helps!

I'm interested in signing up for the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. Will there be an opportunity to do so at the event!

Yes! We are always looking for new cylists to join our team. Regardless of experience level, we would love to have you. You can learn more about our team and training rides here: http://bit.ly/iride4sarah Or, if you have questions, please feel free to contact Rick G. Garibay at 602-369-1462, rickgaribay@hotmail.com or on twitter @rickggaribay

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

No.

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

Yes.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes. However, if you forget, we can look it up when you arrive.

I bought a ticket but can no longer make the event. What do I do?

First, THANK YOU for your willingness to support this great cause. If you bought a ticket but can no longer make the event, you are welcome to transfer the ticket or consider it a donation. We sincerely appreciate your generosity!

I'm considering a personal trainer. Is Body Focus Fitness & Performance right for me?

As the creator of the Functional Cross Training (FxT) System, Kevin applies a combination of techniques for core conditioning with a focus on flexibility, mobility, strength and power. Using non-traditional tools you are unlikely to find in commercial gyms like sledgehammers, chains, ropes, Russian Kettlebells and sleds, Kevin takes an approach that is as unique as the athletes he’s working with. In addition, as a Medical Exercise Specialist, Kevin brings an educational approach to training.

Per Rick G. Garibay, a long-time client and co-organizer of the event whose daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 almost two years ago to the day and has also trained under Kevin: “Kevin takes a highly individualized approach to training and understands that there’s both an art and science to managing blood glucose levels during periods of intense physical activity, both in and out of the studio.” Rick goes on to say “You aren’t going to feel uncomfortable pulling out your test strips or treating a sudden low in his studio, whether you’re training one-on-one or in a group setting”.