World-class athlete: Flying off cliffs and reaching for the stars

Type 1 diabetic Chris Southwell relies on BREEZE® 2 to live his snowboarding dream

Leverkusen - As a real snow fanatic, Chris Southwell can’t wait for the winter to come. After a summer full of traveling, photo shoots and dry runs, the 27-year old extreme freeride snowboarder is eager to get out on the snow and build on the success of last season, when he made it to the top ten at the World Freeride Tour events in Fieberbrunn, Austria, and Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France, came in second at the Czech Scott Freeride Championships in Davos, Switzerland, and ranked number 19 in the world – despite the fact that his pancreas does not produce the vital hormone insulin. But his Type 1 diabetes, which was diagnosed in 2005, has never stopped him from flying off cliffs and competing internationally as a world-class athlete. “On or off the slopes, even with diabetes, you can achieve your wildest dreams with effective control, determination, the right attitude and a positive outlook,” says the professional snowboarder from the United Kingdom. At the moment, he is looking forward to the worldwide release of his first international snowboard video, which is scheduled for December. Another ten days of filming in the unexplored mountains of Kosovo will follow during the upcoming season.

In everyday life and especially out on the hills, Chris Southwell relies on Bayer’s BREEZE® 2 to manage his condition. The meter enables him to keep his blood glucose values within his own personal target ranges and allows him to fit the chronic metabolic disorder successfully into his lifestyle. “To keep up with the fast pace of my training program and competing schedule, I need a meter that is speedy, accurate and convenient. No other device has given me the freedom to perform at this level.” He especially likes the fact that the multi-test system is easy to handle and allows ten consecutive blood glucose measurements without having to change the delicate test strips. Thanks to the disc system he only has to load the device once, but it still lasts all day, no matter what condition he is in.

“The last thing I want to be worrying about on the slope is opening vials of testing strips and trying to put them into a tester,” says Southwell. “But testing my blood glucose levels regularly is extremely important, since I can’t risk getting off balance out on the mountain.” He usually checks his values eight to nine times a day and always keeps an eye on adjusting his carbohydrate intake in order to have enough energy for his sport. He knows that the robust No Coding™ meter provides him with fast and precise results and allows him to make necessary adjustments to counteract them if necessary. This gives him the freedom he needs to concentrate on his riding and simplifies his life with diabetes. ” Flying off a 100-foot-cliff or snowboarding down 55-degree couloirs is far from easy, so I like to keep it simple in other aspects of life – including managing diabetes. Because simple wins!”

About Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care
Bayer HealthCare, Diabetes Care as part of the Medical Care Division supports customers in 100 countries and stands in a long tradition of leading the way in diabetes care product innovation since the introduction of CLINITEST reagent tablets in 1941. The face of diabetes care was changed in 1969 when the first portable blood glucose meter and test strips were introduced. Certain features of Bayer’s blood glucose monitors such as No Coding™ technology and no interference from maltose and galactose make diabetes management easier. Today, Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care offers an unparalleled choice in diabetes management systems and comprehensive support including education, tools and resources designed to simplify life with diabetes. Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care global headquarters is located in Tarrytown, New York, in the United States and operates as part of Bayer HealthCare LLC, a member of the worldwide Bayer HealthCare group. The headquarters for the region Europe-MERA are located in Basel as part of Bayer Consumer Care AG, in Basel.

Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Bayer Schering Pharma, Consumer Care and Medical Care divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Find more information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.


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