The Fearless Diabetic
Having lived with T1D for the past twenty-seven years, Ben Milsom has experienced almost every symptom and side effect there is. In The Fearless Diabetic, he offers a real-life look at what it’s like to live with and thrive with this challenging disease. This isn’t a book about can’t. This is a story of plowing through obstacles and conquering this disease. You’ll read about the author’s own journey and the struggles and successes he’s experienced, and you’ll be able to apply the lessons he’s learned to your own experience. The Fearless Diabetic will serve as a reference guide for those with T1D as well as their families and loved ones. When you encounter the different stages of T1D in your life, you can turn to this book and read the relevant chapters.
The Fearless Diabetic is a universal call to arms for anyone facing life’s toughest challenges.
About the Author
A proud father of two amazing children, Ben Milsom has been thriving with Type 1 Diabetes since June of 1997. He has spent the last twenty-three years of his life working in the NHL, NBA, and NFL as an executive overseeing sales and service departments. He was a part of the 2020 Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ben has also been the Board President of JDRF Tampa Bay, helping to annually raise more than one million dollars to fund diabetes research. This research has been critical in helping diabetics live better lives and also advance toward an eventual cure. Originally from the Steel City of Pittsburgh, Ben played football at John Carroll University. He and his family currently live in Tampa, Florida.
What People Are Saying About The Fearless Diabetic
A diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes often comes as a bolt from the blue. One day you are living your life and the next you are confronted with a chronic illness that requires a lifetime of insulin injections, finger poking, and risk of blindness and kidney failure. It’s devastating. Ben Milsom faced this very scenario head-on and tells the story in this book — with frank and courageous descriptions of the highs and the lows — of how he was more than up to the challenge. Ben tells of how he took on Type 1 Diabetes and has lived a life without limits. He gives inspiration, motivation, and tips to those who are newly diagnosed or who have lived with T1D for years. He does so with humility and humor. As my parents said to me when I was diagnosed with T1D, “You can do anything your friends do; you’ll just need to work a little harder.” This is true, and Ben Milsom is living proof that it’s possible!
Aaron Kowalski
CEO of JDRF
I have gotten to know Ben both personally and professionally and he is both a friend and inspiration to me on a daily basis. He lives life with no limits and this book is a perfect blend of personal anecdotes, simplifying the science of T1D, and inspiration for truly living your own personal journey to the fullest extent. I can’t wait to see how this book inspires and educates those with and without T1D to maximize every day.
Brian Killingsworth
CMO, F45 Fitness
Raw, honest, and relatable to T1Ds of all ages — this book relates the challenges the author faced and continues to face while living with T1D and shares lessons often learned the hard way. A great read for anyone new to the disease!
Don Muchow
T1D ultrarunner and the first person to run from Disneyland to Disney World
Everyone should get this book because everyone needs to learn how to help people with Type 1 Diabetes. With short, easy-to-read chapters, Milsom provides a first-person account of what it’s really like to live, and almost die, with Type 1 Diabetes. His lessons are aphorisms, not fairytales or self-centered "look at me" stories. His writing is straightforward, pragmatic, and backed by science. Especially if you or someone you care about needs to prepare to win with Type 1 Diabetes, this is the diabetes playbook for you!
Dr. Brian Gearity
Professor and Associate Dean, University of Denver; football, strength, and conditioning coach
Reading Ben Milsom’s excellent new book was an inspiring educational journey into truly understanding what Type One Diabetes is…and isn’t. He tells his own compelling story of successfully living with the disease and dispels the myths and assumptions that many have about T1D. This book is compelling and filled with encouragement for those who have T1D and practical advice for those who have loved ones and friends dealing with it. As I read this gem, I felt like I was having a friendly conversation over coffee with Ben based on his comfortable and reassuring writing style. This book will be an excellent resource for many affected by T1D and an inspiring call to action that makes it clear it is absolutely possible to lead an amazing life in spite of the disease. I highly recommend this book and will be enthusiastically sharing it with friends in the years to come.
Randy Hain
Author of Essential Wisdom for Leaders of Every Generation and Being Fully Present: True Stories of Epiphanies and Powerful Lessons from Everyday Life
Ben Milsom’s journey is a profound testament to the indomitable human spirit. His book goes beyond the specifics of living with Type 1 Diabetes; it’s a universal call to arms for anyone facing life’s toughest challenges.
Bob Beaudine
National bestselling author of The Power of WHO and 2 Chairs
In The Fearless Diabetic, Ben Milsom does an incredible job of drawing a blueprint for living with Type 1 Diabetes. While everyone’s journey with Type 1 Diabetes is different, there are many things everyone who live with the disease experience at some point. Milsom has put together a handbook for what you can expect in so many of those areas when living with the type one diabetes.
Blake Ferguson
Long snapper for the Miami Dolphins
Ben Milsom is one of my very best friends. He has been an important part of my life for almost as long as I can recall. I was with him when he was struggling to understand what was going wrong before he was diagnosed with T1D and have seen his journey through managing T1D for decades. Ben did not blink when he was diagnosed and has built an incredible support system around him so T1D would not be a limiting factor to living his life on his terms. I would strongly encourage anyone with T1D and their family members to consume the valuable information in this book. It provides a valuable resource to avoid mistakes of managing T1D and learn how best to support those with T1D and manage the disease process effectively. I highly recommend learning from Ben’s decades of experience with his T1D journey as well as learning from his JDRF leadership he has demonstrated through his continued work to give back and support the T1D community.
Rocco Coniglio
President, board member, MindCare Solutions and co-founder and CEO, Psych360
