SAN FRANCISCO, August 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Beyond Type 1's "Bike Beyond" team of 20 international cyclists living with Type 1 diabetes completed their epic, 10-week adventure, pedaling 4,248 miles from New York City to San Francisco on Friday, August 11^th. With help from National sponsors, Dexcom, Insulet Corporation/Omnipod, KNOW Foods, and Specialized Bikes and social media efforts, the team raised over $500,000 for powerhouse non-profit Beyond Type 1, to support efforts tied to education, advocacy and a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Beyond Type 1 co-founder and musician Nick Jonas, who also lives with Type 1, took to Instagram to share Bike Beyond's message with his 12.5+ million followers and said, "This is what being Beyond Type 1 [#BeyondType1] looks like. These amazing riders traveled across the entire country on a bicycle. After nearly 3 months of riding they dipped their tires in the Pacific Ocean. Along the way they raised awareness about Type 1 diabetes and inspired so many people (including myself). I'm so proud of our Beyond Type 1 team and what they've accomplished. Just goes to show that no matter what your situation is in your life... as long as you set goals and have the drive to get it done you can do anything. Keep living beyond. Anything is possible."

For the teammates, Bike Beyond was a test of their limits as individuals, as athletes, as people living with Type 1 diabetes and as advocates of the diabetes community. They embarked on their journey on June 3^rd, 2017 in NYC to show the world what it means to live beyond a Type 1 diagnosis, to raise awareness for the auto-immune disease, to shatter expectations and stereotypes, and to accomplish what many said was impossible. Across the 15 states and 70 cities, hundreds of community hosts provided housing, meals, support and arranged opportunities for team members to share their experiences with the public. Thousands of individuals attended the pop-up events hosted in major cities, including Beyond Type 1 Leadership Council Member actor Victor Garber, singers Eric Paslay, Crystal Bowersox and Eric Gunderson of Love & Theft, all of whom live with Type 1 diabetes. Hundreds of thousands followed the journey across the Beyond Type 1 social media platforms, notably Facebook, with nearly 1 million followers. Team member Sierra Sandison, former Miss Idaho, posted daily updates using Facebook Live and Instagram stories.

Seven of the 20 participants used the tubeless Omnipod® Insulin Management System throughout their ride, and 19 of the 20 riders used a DexCom glucose monitoring system during their journey. The riders are from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the United States. Team Bike Beyond members included:

• Abbey Brau, age 29 – from Minneapolis, MN
• Abby Pepper, age 17 – from Charlotte, NC
• Amanda Oberski, age 27 – from San Francisco, CA
• Cassidy Robinson, age 26 – from Mission Viejo, CA
• Cheryl Pepper, age 39 – from Charlotte, NC
• Elliot Gatt, age 33 – from Edmonton, AB
• Helen Mepham, age 29 – from Christchurch, CAN
• Jesse Lavine, age 22 – from Bellaire, TX
• Jordan Laiche, age 23 – from Albuquerque, NM
• Kevin Moore, age 52 – from El Cajon, CA
• Matt Swain, age 25 – from Toronto, ONT
• Meagan Banks, age 19 – from Lawrenceville, GA
• Mel Rodgers, age 32 – from Brisbane, QLD
• Perri Silverhart, age 22 – from Hartford, CT
• Richard Biven, age 34 – from New Orleans, LA
• Ryan Dunn, age 21 – from Cincinnati, OH
• Siddharth Sharma, age 28 – from Huddersfield, YORKS
• Sierra Sandison, age 23 – from Boise, ID
• Silvi Pold, age 35 – from Calgary, AB
• Walt Drennan, age 29 – Pittsburgh, PA

Throughout the bicoastal Bike Beyond tour, the cyclists made route stops across 15 states for education and advocacy events, fundraising opportunities, and community building, which included:

• New York (NYC)
• New York, NY, June 3^rd, 2017- Beyond Type 1 hosted the Bike Beyond launch party at La Sirena in the Meatpacking district, where actor Victor Garber, who lives with Type 1 diabetes, gave a moving speech to the riders, as they began their journey.
• New Jersey (Westfield, Trenton)
• Pennsylvania (Chester, Confluence, Pittsburgh)
• Maryland (Bel Air, Hancock, Cumberland)
• Washington D.C.
• West Virginia (Harpers Ferry)
• Ohio (Youngstown, Cleveland, Massillon, Mt. Vernon, Columbus, New Burlington, Cincinnati)
• Cleveland, OH, June 17^th, 2017 – Beyond Type 1 hosted an afternoon outdoor picnic at Public on The Square.
• Kentucky (Carrollton, Louisville, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green, Hopkinsville)
• Tennessee (Nashville)
• Nashville, TN, June 28^th, 2017 – Beyond Type 1 hosted an intimate concert-in-the-round at The Listening Room Café, featuring Dylan Altman, Crystal Bowersox, Eric Gunderson, Eric Paslay, who all have or are affected by Type 1 diabetes.
• Illinois (Eldorado, Centralia)
• Missouri (St. Louis, Hannibal, Moberly, Waverly, Kansas City)
• Kansas (Topeka, Manhattan, Beloit, Stockton, Menlo)
• Colorado (Burlington, Last Chance, Denver, Boulder, Idaho Springs, Vail, Carbondale, Hotchkiss, Grand Junction)
• Denver, CO, July 17^th, 2017 – Beyond Type 1 hosted an afternoon picnic at Festival Plaza in the Infinity Park Center.
• Utah (Moab, Green River, Fruita, Antimony, Milford)
• Nevada (Baker, Ely, Eureka, Austin, Fallon, Sparks)
• California (South Lake Tahoe, Somerset, Davis, Napa, San Rafael, Crissy Field Beach, San Francisco)
• Napa Valley, CA, August 9^th, 2017 – Beyond Type 1 partnered with Stephanie and Michael Honig to host an evening event at The Honig Winery & Vineyard, which raised over $200,000. The following day, co-founder Nick Jonas joined the team for a well-deserved day of rest and full tour of the Honig Winery & Vineyard.
• San Francisco, CA, August 11^th, 2017 – Beyond Type 1 hosted a finish line celebration at Crissy Field, with the 2-month cycling trip concluding after the riders crossed the Golden Gate Bridge.
• San Mateo, CA, August 12^th, 2017 – GoPro hosted the final wrap party for riders, friends, and family at the GoPro Headquarters.

Additional Bike Beyond sponsors included: Aloft Hotel San Francisco, Bandago, Frio, Generation UCan, GoPro, Hint Water, Honey Stinger, Normatec, OneDrop, Retro2Ride, Pill Pack, Sierra Trading Post, SportsTagID, and The Westin San Francisco.

For more information about Bike Beyond, please visit BikeBeyond.org. For more information about Beyond Type 1, visit BeyondType1.org. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @BeyondType1.

About Beyond Type 1
Beyond Type 1 was founded in 2015 by Juliet de Baubigny, Nick Jonas, Sarah Lucas and Sam Talbot. A new brand of philanthropy leveraging the power of social media and technology, Beyond Type 1 is changing what it means to live with Type 1 diabetes. By educating the global community about this chronic, autoimmune disease, as well as providing resources and support for those living with Type 1, Beyond Type 1 bridges the gap from diagnosis to cure, empowering people to both live well today and to fund a better tomorrow. 100% of every dollar raised directly supports the most promising global efforts and programs working to educate, advocate and cure Type 1 diabetes. www.beyondtype1.org

Media Contact:
Paige Garrett
London Misher Public Relations
212-759-2800
Paige@londonmisherpr.com

SOURCE Beyond Type 1

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