The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has named Brazilian driver Miguel Paludo as their next Blue Circle Champion, South America’s first representative for the organization. Paludo, diagnosed with diabetes eight years ago, is an avid advocate of diabetes awareness and care. His partnership with the organization will kick off at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) on June 8th with the debut of the No. 32 Unite for Diabetes/Duroline Chevrolet Silverado.
IDF is a global organization with over 200 national diabetes associations in more than 160 countries, including the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and JDRF. Founded in 1950, the Federation promotes diabetes care, prevention and the search for a cure.
The Blue Circle Champion program consists of Olympic and professional athletes and other high-profile individuals around the world affected by diabetes. Blue Circle Champions are selected to bring visibility and awareness to the disease, which affects more than 366 million people worldwide. The program’s name is inspired by the blue circle, the universal symbol for diabetes, which signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in the struggle against the epidemic. The symbol is also the logo of World Diabetes Day, the primary global diabetes awareness campaign.
IDF will make its NCWTS debut at TMS on June 8th when Paludo hits the track in the No. 32 Unite for Diabetes/Duroline Chevrolet Silverado. The special blue and white paint scheme, inspired by Paludo’s eight-month-old son Oliver’s recent diagnosis with type 1 diabetes, will feature the blue circle logo prominently, as well as an image of Paludo and his son on the truck’s tonneau cover.
Paludo will also contribute throughout the 2012 season to the World Diabetes Day campaign, participating in several promotional initiatives at and away from the racetrack. World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on November 14th to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles Best, first discovered insulin.
“Learning that my son has diabetes has taught me that everything happens for a reason,” said Paludo. “I believe that my diagnosis eight years ago was to prepare my wife and I to take care of Oliver and teach him how to manage his diabetes. He is only eight months old and he will be a type 1 diabetic for the rest of his life, but it isn’t going to limit him in any way. I have been able to achieve my dream of becoming a racecar driver while being a diabetic, and it is important for me to be an example and show him that he can still do anything and everything he wants to do in his life. I’m honored to become one of IDF’s Blue Circle Champions, and my hope is to show people living with diabetes around the world the exact same thing that I want to show my son: diabetes can’t stop you.”
“We are delighted to welcome Miguel as IDF’s newest Blue Circle Champion. Being the first Champion from South America and coming from a country with the fifth highest number of people with diabetes in the world, his impact on our global diabetes community will be undeniably strong,” said Jean Claude Mbanya, President of IDF. “Our community looks to Champions like Miguel to show that you can achieve anything, not in spite of your diabetes, but because of it. Diabetes should not stop you leading a healthy and successful life.”
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