Brais Dacal Visits Diabetes Center in Dubai

Following the 2018 Dubai Tour, Team Novo Nordisk ambassador Brais Dacal got a chance to visit two local Dubai schools and the Boston Diabetes Center of Dubai and bring some much-needed inspiration to kids affected by diabetes in the United Arab Emirates.

Brais Dacal:

“Meeting with students at the Dubai British School and the Bradenton Preparatory Academy was a tremendous opportunity to inspire and empower young people to fight hard for their dreams.

They got to see how Team Novo Nordisk’s all-diabetes riders overcame their own obstacles and to live empowered as pro athletes, and also learn about cycling, diabetes and some tips on how to live a healthy life.

I think it’s very important for children this age (6-12) to know they can have a bright future, as long as they work hard and fight to get over the barriers they face in life.”

Brais:

“I also had the fantastic chance to visit the Boston Diabetes Center of Dubai and meet with a group of kids and adults living with diabetes. We had a relaxed conversation, where I was not only able to share my knowledge and experience of living with diabetes, but also got to listen to their personal stories, which made me see different points of view about our shared condition.

Overall, the kids and adults attending the event were fascinated to see how a team with diabetes is performing at the top level of one of the hardest sports in the world. They said they felt inspired to keep dreaming big, no matter what. And there couldn’t be a bigger award for me than seeing a big smile on their faces at the end!

I would like to thank our friends from Novo Nordisk in the UAE and the management of the Dubai British School, the Bradenton Preparatory Academy and the Boston Diabetes Center of Dubai for making the events possible and help us spread our team’s mission.”

Dr. Ghada Aoun
Specialist Endocrinologist
Boston Diabetes and Endocrine Center Medical Director:

“On behalf of the Boston Diabetes and Endocrine Center, I would like to thank Brais Dacal for extending his time and effort to meet our children, adolescents and adults with type 1 diabetes and giving them the inspiration that living with diabetes is a challenge but that they can fight for their dreams and still live a successful life.

Brais is a good role model, as he does not see type 1 diabetes as a roadblock or a barrier. He proved to them that despite of being diabetic he could be a professional athlete and road racing cyclist.

I believe the event was very successful, as emotional support plays a key role in diabetes management. We should have more similar events in future to motivate and support children and adults with diabetes and reinforce that having diabetes doesn’t mean that they need to stop doing the things they love if they balance their nutrition, exercise and have proper blood glucose management.

I would also like to thank Novo Nordisk for their continuous support for type 1 diabetes and for taking the initiative to make this event successful.”

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