He’s running Boston to support people like him with Type 1 diabetes

On our websiteWhy am I running?“, Boston Marathon athletes share what inspires them to take on the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for the Boston Marathon Pop-up Newsletter at Boston.com.

name: Colin Bennett
Age: 29
From: New Braintree, Massachusetts.

I’m running the Boston Marathon for Team Beth Israel Lahey Health, in support of the Joslin Diabetes Center. On May 23, 2008, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and hearing this news when I was 11 years old was the scariest moment of my life. I remember wondering if I would ever be able to exercise again, or how my friends would react to the insulin pump on my thigh.

Joslin Diabetes Center was the reason I didn’t lose hope. They gave me the tools, guidance and confidence that my life would not be defined by a diagnosis. Seventeen years later, they’re still doing it, proving to me every day that I can still do everything I love.

Not only am I running to cure the millions of people with Type 1 Diabetes, but also for the scared 11-year-old boy who thought running 26.2 miles as a diabetic was impossible.

Editor’s Note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

Kelly Chan

Content Producer

Kelly Chan is a content producer at Boston.com. She creates multimedia content on-site and across social media platforms, and experiments with new ways to engage readers.