I am writing this blog post relieved and heavy hearted. Tony Cervati has returned to the United States  tonight after suffering a considerable fall from a gorge on the Tour Divide Trail. He was stabilized in a hospital in Canmore Alberta, after happening upon a bear on the divide route. He indicated he was startled by the close proximity of the animal and was attempting to back away in torrential rain, when he lost footing and plummeted into the rapids below. He was swept considerably downstream in 40 degree whitewater, before being able to remove himself from the frigid rapids. He hiked back to his summit, secured his bike and belongings and began riding to the nearest town. He was picked up by a local family and driven 40 minutes to the area hospital where he remained until given medical clearance to travel. He is  completely devastated at the early “scratch” that has occured in this historic race start.

At the time of his near drowning, he was experiencing hypoglycmeia, ( his BG at that time was 69, and he wishes to indicate that his fall was not due to hypoglycemia, but spacially he was out of land)  and was unable to treat his low blood sugar due to the hostile environment. Tony spoke of hearing the large bears that were roaming freely in their natural habitats, moving timber and meandering throughout the trail and the dense woods, and spoke of his unease and unwillingness to expose intensely sweet smelling fast acting carbohydrates as this was certain to attract grizzlies,  and torrential rains made testing blood sugars and treating blood sugars nearly impossible. He indicated that he did not test his BG again until arriving at the hospital in Canmore Alberta and at that time his BG was 13.2 ( about 237 in America), and his EKG appeared normal. He suffered from numerous fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.

It appears that Tony Cervati had angels flying with him on that Superfly. They walked with him away from the bear. They slid with him into the rapids. They swam with him until they could guide him safely to land. They sent a family to drive him the distance to seek medical help. He is alive and is in good hands. He wants everyone to know how much he loves each and everyone of you. He was being relayed the OUTPOURING of love and prayers and well wishes and just wants to share with you his heartbreak at not being able to finish Tour Divide…..this time.

Tony is anxious to share with you how challenging it proved to manage his diabetes in such a desolate environment and how significant it is for you and I to understand that in the toughest of circumstances, he was certainly thinking of his nutrition and the concerns over hypoglycemia. He indicated that while his tenure on the trail was abbreviated, the lessons he gained from his ride were invaluable. He also indicated the amount of interest the hopsital staff in Canada took in his diabetes management and how curious they were about his Omni Pod. The two years of training and meticulous prepping for this race and the real life experiences on the Tour Divide have certainly given Tony an expertise in Type1 management unlike any other.