麻豆社区

It's been eight years since Sean Busby received the diagnosis that was supposed to derail his career.

Instead, he's living his dream.

The professional snowboarder, who travels the world leading backcountry expeditions, was 19-years-old, living in Colorado and competing with the U.S. National Snowboard team.

He had lofty goals; with a berth at the 2010 Olympics in reach.

In the midst of his training, he fell ill. Within two weeks, he lost more than 30 lb.

The doctors came up empty.

Type-two diabetes, they told him.

He was prescribed a daily regime of medicine, downing pills and waiting for things to turn around.

They never did.

For three-months, Busby continued to take the medicine and his health continued to decline.

His teammates had traveled to the southern hemisphere to chase winter and continue their training and competing.

Busby remained on his parent's couch, his weight having dropped to 119 pounds.

"I was wasting away,鈥� he told the Star in an interview on Thursday evening.

"I couldn't function.鈥�

Eventually, his sponsors, those who allowed him to pursue his passion, began to cut him loose.

After seeing more than 100 doctors, the right diagnosis finally came back: type-one diabetes, an autoimmune disease.

Busby immediately got to work, researching the disease and trying to figure out how he could get his life back on track.

He found inspiration in the stories of children who didn't know of a life without the disease.

"I was inspired by those kids,鈥� he says. "I realized how high up in the clouds my head was. I realized how fortunate I was and if these kids could do it, so could I.鈥�

Busby returned to the pro-tour, returned to his passion and turned a difficult situation into a gift.

Alongside his wife, Mollie Busby, friends Russ and Brittany Hopkins and their dog, Ava, the group is currently embarking on a tour from Utah to Alaska.

Sean will be speaking to children with diabetes and chronicling his adventures to show them what's possible when living with the disease.

It's his turn to give back to those who inspired him to get back onto his board.

Along with Mollie, the couple founded Riding on Insulin in 2004, a non-profit that hosts snowboard and ski camps around the world for children with type-one and type-two diabetes.

"In a way he does things selfishly,鈥� Mollie says of her husband's refusal to abandon his love for the wilderness and snowboarding.

"But also unselfishly, there are tons of kids out there who think, 鈥業 have diabetes, I can't do anything,' and he gets out there doesn't let anything stop him.鈥�

Sean carries a satellite phone on each of his adventures, which have brought him to Iceland, Patagonia, New Zealand, Romania and Antarctica, to name a few, and calls back to hospitals, to children with the disease and gives them a glimpse into a world of possibility.

Later this month, Sean will be speaking at Camp K in Anchorage, an American Diabetes Association camp, where he will share his story.

"It's not the worst thing that can happen to you,鈥� he says. "There's technology like this and it's manageable if you stay on top of it.鈥�

The technology he refers to is the OmniPod, a tubeless insulin pump, the first of its kind.

"This gives me freedom,鈥� he says, while holding up the device that controls the pump and resembles a cell phone.

Unlike conventional diabetes treatment, which features tubing that's susceptible to the elements, the OmniPod is an adhesive that Sean can stick onto his body, fill with three days worth of insulin and get back on the mountain.

"It's golden for me,鈥� he says. "I can go to all these remote environments and be in the wilderness. It gives me one less thing to worry about, I can focus on my snowboarding and not think about what's going on with my diabetes or tubes freezing.鈥�

Sean, Mollie, Russ, Brittany and Ava departed from Central Utah on May 31.

They're traveling in Sean and Mollie's "mobile base camp,鈥� a refurbished 1977 Travel Queen (TQ) converted to run on alternative fuel.

]That's where Russ and Brittany come in.

"

Before we met them, we didn't know much about sustainable living,鈥� says Sean.

"They live in a straw bale house and it (sustainable living) totally encompasses their lives. They introduced us to it.鈥�

Along with its use of alternative fuel, the TQ is equipped with multiple solar panels and a solar powered generator.

Perfect for a Yukon summer day.

The TQ has a diesel engine, needed to get the vehicle rolling, but once they get started, they flip a switch and they're running on vegetable oil.

"We had no idea you could fuel a vehicle through the garbage in the back of a fast food restaurant,鈥� says Sean.

After being filtered, the TQ runs on used oil and achieves the same mileage it would on gasoline.

Their current journey marks the first expedition with the vehicle.

Aside from an unexpected layover in Watson Lake due to the Alaska Highway washout, things have been going well.

They've also learned the ropes when it comes to fueling.

"Sushi restaurants stash some of the best oil because they only use it once and then throw it out,鈥� says Mollie.

Sean says the TQ will serve as his base camp when he leads clients on guided tours and expeditions.

"It's a unique client experience,鈥� he says.

Sean was last in Whitehorse in March, snowboarding around Mt. McIntyre with the help of Sky High Wilderness Ranch.

"I was just mesmerized by the terrain outside of Fish Lake,鈥� he says. "We made good friends with the people that run Sky High and they've been amazing as far as helping with logistics. We were skiing right from our doorstep, climbing Mt. McIntyre and the surrounding peaks. People here are so friendly, I love it.鈥�

Once the crew finishes touring Alaska, they will begin their journey back home, traveling nearly 10,000-kilometres round-trip after making stops in Wyoming, Montana and across Canada.

Through their satellite phone calls and presentations, the group will promote eco-friendly adventure education and share Sean's story of diabetes and how it changed his life.

Eight years later, things are looking better than ever.