Age: 9
Age at T1D diagnosis: 6

Riaan is a super athlete! He loves the beach and plays flag football, basketball, and baseball all the time. He is very competitive in nature and never lets diabetes slow him down. It can get tricky watching his blood sugar rollercoaster all the time, but with proper management, he is able to do anything he wants.

Riaan was diagnosed with T1D right before a family ski trip, which forced them to cancel it. Every year since then, Riaan has been able to ski down the slopes, play in the snow, and throw endless snowballs at his brothers. Riaan has a large Walk team every year, as most of his classmates and sports team also join him. He also attends the Gala every year and is a T1D Youth Ambassador. He likes to help raise money in hopes of a future cure one day!