Climber notched record 500th incline ascent in 146 days on Valentine's Day
to help promote his nonprofit Change4Diabetes.org

Greg Cummings made the final difficult steps to the summit of the snow-covered Incline. He smiled easily and greeted friends at the top, then sat down and lanced the tip of his finger to check his blood sugar level.

Cummings is a type 1 diabetic and has lived with diabetes for 32 years. He is also one of the most prolific Incline climbers. In 2011 he became the first to make 500 ascents in one year, and he held the record for 601 ascents in a year until his friend, Roger Austin, set the current record (719) in 2013.

Cummings is a physically powerful, gentle and soft-spoken man. But when the subject turns to diabetes, his demeanor changes. He hates type 1 diabetes and wants to end it forever.

"Having type 1 is like balancing on a tightrope" Cummings said. "There's high blood sugar on the right and low on the left, and you're constantly falling off one side or the other."

When his blood sugar surges, he feels like his "body is made of stone." Moving requires great effort. He becomes dehydrated and feels as if his heart is pumping mud. When it slips low, he becomes exhausted and irritable. When his blood sugar drops too low, he becomes unresponsive, incoherent, and his mind "drifts away into unconsciousness."

(Photo, Greg and Alison Cummings climbed the Incline together on Valentine's Day. It was a record 500 climbs in 146 days for Greg!) 

He has experienced the extremes of both many times. And while Cummings remains active by constantly monitoring his blood glucose, he knows that type 1 diabetes (T1D) could kill him.

"Having type 1 diabetes is a horror," he says. "It impacts everything you do and it's overwhelming."

Cummings is tired of the tightrope and has taken the fight to type 1 by starting his own nonprofit organization, Change4Diabetes.org. His goal is to help find a Practical Cure.

"A Practical Cure will end the need for insulin, the constant monitoring of blood glucose, and allow a person to eat at will, and sleep without the concern of low blood glucose," he said. "It will impact millions of people in a very positive way."

According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, in 2011, there were 18.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S., with another 7 million expected as undiagnosed. The disease is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and as many as 79 million American adults may have prediabetes.

In his research, Cummings discovered that the top four diabetes organizations in the U.S. were committing only 2 percent (on average) of donations toward research for a Practical Cure. Change4Diabetes.org will take a different approach. The organization's by-laws dictate that not less than 80% of donations received will go to research for a Practical Cure.

T1D has haunted his family for years. His mother has suffered with type 1 for more than six decades. He and his wife, Alison, have helped her out of low blood glucose reactions many times.

"Every minute that I have known my mother she has had to struggle with this damned disease, and the same has happened with my kids, because every moment they've known me I've been dealing with diabetes. Our goal is to stop T1D from tormenting humanity for the next 75 years! It is time to make a practical cure a priority.”

To draw attention to his organization and the effort to find a cure, Cummings has vowed to hike the Incline 1,000 times - and climb more than 2 million vertical feet - in 12 consecutive months. He hit number 500 today (Valentine's Day) as he climbs with Alison, the love of his life. Should he make it, he'll also set a record as the quickest (146 days) to reach 500 ascents.

Video: The first 311 Incline Ascents ** Climbs 312 through 493

He always checks his blood glucose at the summit and the base. Too high and he'll adjust by injecting a tiny amount of insulin. Too low and he'll eat some carbohydrates to maintain the crucial balance.

There is symbolism in his effort. Type 1 diabetes never takes a day off, and since beginning his journey on the first day of fall, Sept. 22, 2013, Cummings has climbed every day - averaging more than three ascents - and many of those days have been difficult.

He hopes that everyone will give a minimum of 2 cents for each of his 1,000 ascents - a donation of $20.

"It's easy to stand by and do nothing, but we intend to win and that requires action, commitment and sacrifice," he said. "In our case, we need the collective action of many people, each giving a little to make a measurable difference ... but with it, we expect to find a practical cure for this killer disease."

For more information, to check on Greg's Incline progress, and to donate, go to: Change4Diabetes.org.