American Diabetes Association® Youth Ambassador Rachel Hopkins will ride along with Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed during Friday night’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kentucky Speedway. The Salem, Ind. native will have her name featured on a decal above the passenger-side door on the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang.
Hopkins was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1997 at the age of 14 months. Now 18, she is preparing for her freshman year of college at Anderson University where she plans to study nursing and work as a diabetes educator.
Rachel was a varsity athlete on the soccer, cross country and track teams in high school and was a member of the National Honor Society. Hopkins served as an intern for two summers for the American Diabetes Association in Louisville, Ky.
As a Youth Ambassador, she has spoken on behalf of the American Diabetes Association at their local corporate luncheon and participated in Step Out®: Walk to Stop Diabetes®, Tour de Cure® and the American Diabetes Association Camps.
“It’s amazing to see what Rachel has accomplished while living with diabetes for pretty much her entire life,” said Reed. “The fact that she has developed a platform to spread awareness and help others and wants to continue to do that as a career is truly inspiring. Knowing that she is doing such great things in the diabetes community motivates me even more to record a great finish for her and the Drive to Stop Diabetes program this weekend.”
Ryan Reed and the ‘Riding with Ryan’ program roll into Kentucky Speedway this weekend for a 200-lap event on 1.5-mile tri-oval. Reed finished 11th in his last appearance at the track in September 2014.
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