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Lancaster County man pedaling 12 hours for type one diabetes awareness

MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Thursday was World Diabetes Day, and millions of people around the world live with the challenges of life with diabetes. One local...
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Thursday was World Diabetes Day, and millions of people around the world live with the challenges of life with diabetes. One local man is pedaling for 12 hours to bring awareness to type one diabetes.

Brent Kametz was a little out of breath. He had been riding for miles.

"I haven't been going super hard but trying to maintain about 22 miles an hour," Kametz said.

He was accompanied by hundreds of others riders, in the comfort of his own home. Kametz was riding virtually, also known as e-cycling, on a program called Zwift. He started riding at 5 a.m., and ended at 5 p.m.

But the real story is why he's riding so long.

"It was a big shock," Kametz said.

Diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of 28, Kametz was an avid cyclist before, and now he's on an e-cycling team, called "Team Type One." He was joined by diabetics and people whose family members have diabetes from all over the world. Many of them were riding for 24 hours to bring awareness on World Diabetes Day.

"There are probably still lots of people that don't even know I'm diabetic," Kametz said. "After joining the team - there were so many questions that I had and never asked, and they were being answered by the group. So I've learned so much in the past 10 months. More than I ever learned from a doctor or an endocrinologist."

For a diabetic, a ride like this means more preparation. Including snacks, insulin dose changes, and constantly checking your pump.

Kametz's record is 80 miles, he was hoping to reach 180, before the end of the day..

"A lot of people associate, when they hear diabetes, they think type two diabetes," Kametz said. "But type one can strike anyone at any time really."

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