Erika Szumel on Building Confidence to Do Hard Things with T1D

Erika Szumel on Building Confidence to Do Hard Things with T1D

Erika Szumel has lived with type 1 diabetes for 25 years, works on the Blue Circle Health community engagement team, and is currently training for another marathon. But this episode isn’t really about running. It’s about doing hard things with type 1 diabetes. Scott and Erika explore what confidence actually looks like when you live with T1D, and why it’s often not something you have before you begin. Through stories from marathon training, diabetes management, setbacks, and self-doubt, Erika shares how confidence is built through experience, experimentation, adaptation, and simply taking the next step. Along the way, they discuss the fear of failure, learning from mistakes, the value of community, and why waiting until you feel completely ready may keep you from doing things that matter most. Whether your challenge is athletic, professional, personal, or diabetes-related, this conversation offers encouragement and practical perspective for moving forward even when the outcome feels uncertain. What You'll Learn * Why confidence is something you build, not something you need before you start * How marathon training helped Erika rethink challenges both inside and outside of diabetes * The role experimentation, adaptability, and self-trust play in living well with T1D * Why setbacks and frustrating diabetes days don’t mean you’re failing * How community and shared experience can make difficult goals feel more achievable * Practical ways to approach intimidating goals one step at a time * Why perfection isn’t required before pursuing something meaningful * How lessons learned from doing hard things can carry into every area of life Key Quotes * “Living with diabetes is already an incredible challenge that you take on every single day... Anything else is nowhere near as challenging as diabetes is.” – Erika Szumel * “You don't need to climb the whole staircase, you just need to take the first step and that's it.” – Erika Szumel * “The more you go on, the more you trust yourself and feel that confidence.” – Erika Szumel Resources & Links * Diabetes Nerd podcast episode - https://youtu.be/4WKjILgEtVM [https://youtu.be/4WKjILgEtVM?si=DB73DE6uD1H8mfKH] * Type One Run on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/typeoneruncommunity [https://www.facebook.com/groups/typeoneruncommunity] * Breakthrough T1D Teams - https://www2.breakthrought1d.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=run_homepage [https://www2.breakthrought1d.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=run_homepage] * American Diabetes Association Teams - https://diabetes.org/event/2026-team-diabetes-chicago-marathon [https://diabetes.org/event/2026-team-diabetes-chicago-marathon] * TeamCWD - https://childrenwithdiabetes.com/events/teamcwd/ [https://childrenwithdiabetes.com/events/teamcwd/] * Beyond Type 1 - https://beyondtype1.org/marathon-team/ [https://beyondtype1.org/marathon-team/] * Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org [https://bluecirclehealth.org] What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

Kathryn Ward, LCSW: Simple Ways to Build Emotional Resilience in T1D

Kathryn Ward, a licensed clinical social worker at Blue Circle Health, joins Scott to talk about emotional resilience: something many people living with type 1 diabetes feel but don’t always have words for.  Kathryn works closely with people navigating the emotional side of diabetes every day. In this conversation, she and Scott explore what emotional resilience really means, what it doesn’t, and how to navigate burnout, self-criticism, and tough diabetes days with more self-compassion.  They talk about burnout, shame, and the pressure to “do diabetes perfectly,” along with simple, realistic ways to nurture emotional resilience in everyday life with diabetes to find a more realistic, compassionate approach that helps you keep going, even when things feel heavy. If you’ve ever felt exhausted by diabetes or wondered how to keep showing up for yourself without burning out, this episode is for you. What You'll Learn * What emotional resilience actually means in the context of type 1 diabetes * Why “pushing through” isn’t always the answer * How small mindset shifts can reduce burnout and self-judgment * Practical ways to respond to tough diabetes days * How support (from yourself and others) can change everything Key Quotes * “Remember that this is a moment in time. How do you slow down, nurture yourself in this moment, and take care of your blood sugar in a way that's going to keep you safe?” – Kathryn Ward * “Acceptance is a repetitive process I have to go through. I’m accepting of it right now, but as soon as something happens that throws me off track, or if I’m having a hard time, I have to go through that process of reaching acceptance again. It doesn’t feel like a one-time thing for me.” – Scott K. Johnson * “Being able to allow painful emotions… that’s where we start to take our power back.” – Kathryn Ward * “Burnout is normal, overwhelm is normal… it’s actually an expected response to this full-time job of being a pancreas.” – Kathryn Ward Resources & Links * Beyond Type 1’s Mental Health + Type 1 Diabetes Resources - https://beyondtype1.org/mental-health-type-1/ [https://beyondtype1.org/mental-health-type-1/] * Behavioral Diabetes Institute’s Diabetes Distress Assessment & Resource Center - https://diabetesdistress.org/ [https://diabetesdistress.org/] * Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org [https://bluecirclehealth.org/] What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

Matthew Garza: What It Takes to End Diabetes Stigma

Matthew Garza, Director of dStigmatize at diaTribe, joins us to unpack a topic that so many people living with type 1 diabetes feel—but don’t always have words for: diabetes stigma. From subtle judgment to systemic bias, stigma can shape how people see themselves, how they interact with healthcare, and even the outcomes they experience over time. Matthew shares what diabetes stigma really is, why it’s more than just “a bad joke,” and how it shows up everywhere: from doctor visits to media portrayals to policy decisions. But this conversation isn’t just about naming the problem—it’s about what we can do to address it. We talk about the real impact stigma has on mental health, self-care, and engagement with the healthcare system. We discuss how small shifts in language, community, and confidence can start to change the story. This is a powerful, validating conversation for anyone who’s ever felt blamed, judged, or misunderstood while living with diabetes, and an important reminder that none of this is your fault. What You'll Learn * How stigma goes beyond hurtful comments to influence healthcare, research, and policy decisions * The connection between stigma, shame, burnout, and disengagement from care  * Why negative healthcare experiences can create a cycle that’s hard to break * How language choices (like “control” or “compliance”) can unintentionally reinforce stigma * Simple ways friends, family, and providers can be more supportive * Practical ways to push back against stigma in your own life * Why your lived experience with diabetes is real expertise—and deserves to be respected Key Quotes * “Diabetes stigma is everywhere, and as soon as you start to notice it, you see just how insidious it is.” – Matthew Garza * “It can feel really dismissive and make people want to disengage.” – Matthew Garza * “When you find those allies, that helps it feel a lot less lonely and a lot less isolating.” – Matthew Garza   Resources & Links * End Diabetes Stigma Pledge – https://enddiabetesstigma.org [https://enddiabetesstigma.org] * dStigmatize – https://dstigmatize.org [https://dstigmatize.org] * diaTribe – https://diatribe.org [https://diatribe.org] * Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org [https://bluecirclehealth.org] What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.

David Panzirer & T1D: From Changing His Family to Changing the System

David Panzirer is a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the father of two adult children with type 1 diabetes. In this conversation, he shares what it was like to go from knowing almost nothing about type 1 diabetes to becoming deeply involved in improving care for people living with it. In this conversation, David reflects on the early days of fear and uncertainty, what it really feels like to support a child living with diabetes, and how his perspective has evolved over time. He talks openly about the emotional weight carried by parents and caregivers, the importance of listening to people actually living with T1D, and why the healthcare system still falls short for so many. David also shares how important it is to listen to lived experience, and how he turned his fear and concern for his children’s well-being into advocacy, change, and a deeper mission to improve the lives of everyone living with type 1 diabetes. What You'll Learn * What the early days after a type 1 diabetes diagnosis can feel like for parents * How fear can evolve into purpose and advocacy over time * Why listening to lived experience changes how we think about support * The tension between wanting control and learning to step back as a parent * Practical ways anyone can advocate or support someone living with diabetes Key Quotes * “Fear can be a very good motivator. And I was scared.” – David Panzirer * “If you were trying to design a system that would make life really difficult for people with a chronic disease, you’d have exactly what we have here in the US.” – David Panzirer * “Allow yourself some grace. Allow your child some grace who may be dealing with this.” – David Panzirer Resources & Links * The Helmsley Charitable Trust - https://helmsleytrust.org [https://helmsleytrust.org] * Children with Diabetes - https://childrenwithdiabetes.com [https://childrenwithdiabetes.com] * Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org [https://bluecirclehealth.org] What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/ [https://bluecirclehealth.org/].

Dr. Bill Polonsky: What the World Still Hasn’t Heard About Emotional Health and T1D

Dr. Bill Polonsky, President and Co-Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, joins Scott to talk about dealing with the emotional side of living with type 1 diabetes. This isn’t about burnout as a buzzword or a clinical label. It’s about the real, day-to-day emotional weight of managing a condition that never lets up, and how that weight can quietly shape how we think, feel, and care for ourselves. In this conversation, Dr. Polonsky helps unpack what diabetes distress actually is, why it’s so common (and so misunderstood), and what we can do about it. If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at diabetes, or just tired of the constant mental load, this one will likely hit close to home and hopefully offer some helpful strategies. What You'll Learn * What diabetes distress really is (and what it’s not) * Why “trying harder” often makes things worse * The difference between depression and diabetes distress * Why experiencing diabetes distress is normal for those with type 1 diabetes * Practical ways to reduce the emotional burden of diabetes * What actually helps when you’re overwhelmed Key Quotes * “It’s this very common feeling… where you just can feel this sense of pressure and burden of living with diabetes every day.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky * “We used to think that depression was extremely common in people with type one diabetes… and what we now realize is that was wrong.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky * “People were scoring high on depression questionnaires, but what we were really picking up was how overwhelmed they were about their diabetes.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky * “Don’t do diabetes alone!” – Dr. Bill Polonsky Resources & Links * Learn more about diabetes distress at http://diabetesdistress.org/ * Learn more about the Behavioral Diabetes Institute at http://behavioraldiabetes.org/ * Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D? The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D. Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health (https://bluecirclehealth.org/), a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes.