Red Striders are Why We Walk and Fundraise!

Red Striders are children and adults who have type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes. If you are a Red Strider, YOU are the reason we walk and raise funds through Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes to help find the cause and cure of this “silent disease.”

When you register for your local Step Out, be sure to select the Red Strider participation option in order to receive all of the latest and greatest information taking place for your local walk!

Celebrating Red Striders

As a Red Strider you are a VIP because YOU are the reason we walk and raise funds to help Stop Diabetes®. You will be given your own personalized web page to tell your story and raise funds for the walk. You will also receive a special recognition gift on the day of your local walk and celebrate the courage it takes to live with diabetes every day!

For additional details about your local Red Strider program, please contact your Walk Manager at 1-888-DIABETES. Many walks provide meet and greet opportunities, research updates, and training walks for Red Striders.

I Don’t Have My Own Walk Team. Is There One I Can Join?

Yes! If you do not have your own team and want to walk with other Red Striders and their loved ones who support them, then join Team Red! It’s more fun to walk and raise funds when you are part of a team!

And you don’t have to have diabetes to join Team Red! If someone you know is a Red Strider, you can join Team Red or form your own team in their honor today!

NOTE: If you are already part of another team, you will still be recognized as a Red Strider and are encouraged to continue walking with your team.

THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION IS HERE TO HELP!

At the American Diabetes Association, we work each and every day to imagine a life free of diabetes and all its burden. We are the only organization committed to helping children and adults with all types of diabetes, as well as those at risk.

Visit the About ADA page on the Step Out site or www.diabetes.org today to get the latest and greatest information about diabetes and how the Association is helping to imagine a life free of diabetes and all its burden.

If you have diabetes and participate in the Step Out walk in your area, than you, like me, are a RED STRIDER!

My name is Christine Schaeberle and in the fall of 2008, I founded the Red Strider program in Denver, Colorado. For several years, I had been volunteering and working on the Step Out Walk in Denver and when the opportunity arose to start the Red Striders, I was so very excited. Since 2008, it has been my passion and desire to get the Red Strider program to grow and spread throughout the country. Read more.

This is my Red Strider Story...

In May of 2003, I was in my doctor’s office for a routine annual physical and it was then that I was diagnosed with diabetes. The day my doctor said “you have diabetes” is a day I will never forget, and a day when my life drastically changed. Initially, it was very hard to accept the idea that my life would now include the challenges of managing diabetes every day. After my diagnosis, I knew it was time to change my ways. I set out to understand this disease, understand how it affected me personally and began to change the way I lived my life. I began to understand eating habits, nutrition, exercise, blood sugar numbers, testing my blood sugar, insulin needs, stress, and many other things.

I am so happy to report that my diabetes is well controlled and I manage this disease, it does not manage me. However, I do know how difficult it can be when you are first diagnosed, how helpful it is to have a great diabetes support system around you, how frustrating the disease can be and how important it is to find a cure. It is all of these things that led me straight to the American Diabetes Association shortly after I was diagnosed. I wanted to make a difference and I wanted to be a part of the movement to Stop Diabetes.

Today, I am married and have two beautiful children and not only do I know how to keep my diabetes in check but so does my family. On those scary occasions when my blood sugar has gone way too low, I have often needed the help of my husband and my children are so aware of Mommy and her needing a shot of insulin before eating.

Whenever I am talking about diabetes or encouraging people to get involved in the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes, I often am heard telling people “I never get to take a vacation from this disease”. Every day, I have to check my blood sugar four to six times, give myself insulin shots two to three times, get in some type of exercise, keep constantly aware of what I’m eating and when I’m eating and try to manage any stress or unfortunate low blood sugars. There is never a break from this disease and that is why the Red Striders are so important to me. On Walk day, it is our chance to recognize, support, and celebrate all the people who have diabetes. On Walk day, when I look out and see all the Red Strider hats, I know that I am not alone in this fight, and I also know that we must continue to fight this disease and find a cure.

Your Turn!

First and foremost, if you have already registered for the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes in your area, thank you for registering and we look forward to honoring you on Walk Day. If you have not registered, than please join with us and register today! I promise you that you will have a great time at the Walk! We want to honor you as a Red Strider, so please join us.

Finally, please visit the Red Strider Online Community! This online community is a great way to share your stories or connect with other people with diabetes. We would love to hear from you and hear your story, your ups and downs with this disease and your ideas in our new Red Strider online community.

Team Red

What is Team Red?

Team Red is a Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes team for Red Striders*, their loved ones who support them, and any walkers who do not have a team but want to join the millions of others to Stop Diabetes!

*Red Striders are children and adults living with type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes. If you are already part of another team, you will still be recognized as a Red Strider and are encouraged to continue walking with your team.

Can I Join Team Red if I’m Not a Red Strider?

Yes! If you do not have diabetes or a team to walk with, then please join Team Red! It’s more fun to walk and raise funds when you are part of a team!

NOTE: If you are already part of another team, you are encouraged to continue walking with your team.

Register for Team Red Today!

• Start a Team Red: Click the "Register" button, search for and select your event, then click “Start a Team” atop the page. Be sure to select “Team Red” from the National Team drop-down menu when prompted.
• Join an Existing Team Red: Click the "Register" button, search for and select your event, then click “Join An Existing Team” atop the page. Enter the team's name (if you know it) and/or “Team Red” in the National Team field, and search. When the team appears in the search results, click “Join” to the right of it.

Are You a Past Walker?

If you have participated in Step Out in previous years, or one of the other American Diabetes Association signature events (Tour de Cure, School Walk for Diabetes or Rip's B.A.D. Ride), login with your old username and password prior to registering. If you do not have/remember this information, click "forgot password?" in the top-right corner of the screen to have the information e-mailed to you.