==Profile==
Name: Maria Cruz
Age: 36
Years with T1D: 2
Age of diagnosis: 34
From: Lisbon, Portugal
Years climbing: 7
Favorite type of climbing: I do a bit of everything. I really enjoy long days in the mountains but also love bouldering.
Goals: My climbing goals include sending a V7, getting better (and braver) in trad climbing and keep on climbing routes that I previously thought would be impossible for me.
Contact: [email protected]
==Bio==
I’m a biologist and a climber and love to be outdoors. I love to climb big mountains and share with a companion the big adventure of having an almost overwhelming goal for the day. I love to deal with the anxiety and pushing through my physical and mental limits.
When I was diagnosed, I was really terrified of what that would mean to my way of life. Would I have to stop travelling to remote areas and camping and climbing? Would diabetes limit my options? I’ve been slowly learning that diabetes is something that I can learn to live with. It doesn’t have to be a limitation.
If you’re a small climber, you sometimes need to work harder to find climbing sequences that fit you. Being small doesn’t need to limit you; it also doesn’t make it easy for you. (But who wants it easy anyway?) With diabetes, it’s just the same. Diabetes forces me to be more attentive and persistent; to make experiences with what to eat and how much insulin to take and keep on adjusting it, but it definitely doesn’t stop me from reaching the top of a mountain. So I’m not scared any longer and am trying every day to learn a bit more about living with diabetes.
Talking to other T1 Diabetics made a huge difference to me when I was having so many doubts and questions about going back to long climbs, so I’m thrilled to become part of this amazing and inspiring team and contribute to it in every way I can.
