Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and as many as 3 million Americans may have Type 1 diabetes, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. They are tough statistics to read, but numbers are not stopping Bret Pilney.

After doctors diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes at age 8, Pilney, sophomore in animal science, has fought the disease ever since.

“Not many people know what it is, but it’s actually a horrible disease,” Pilney said. “Two out of three diabetics die from heart failure by age 70.”

According to the JDRF website, Type 1 diabetes is not preventable and a patient can never “get rid of” the disease. Pilney lives life between insulin checks and making sure his blood sugar levels are close to where they need to be. He has to watch what he eats and monitor his activity levels.

Although Pilney describes Type 1 diabetes as an “insulin-dependent” disease, insulin does not define his life. At 19, Pilney decided diabetes was not going to stop him from doing anything.

That’s when he embarked on his first RAGBRAI.

From that point forward, Pilney has been hooked on riding. In the beginning, he rode to see if he could accomplish the 471-mile, weeklong ride across the state.

“I wanted to make sure I could manage it,” Pilney said. “I did it for fun, but I wanted to know if I could handle checking my insulin, camping and everything.”

After RAGBRAI, Pilney decided to ride again, this time for a different cause — JDRF Ride to Cure. While on Facebook, he saw an ad for a Ride to Cure event in Lacrosse, Wis. He thought it “looked cool” and signed himself up. Not only did he raise $3,000 for JDRF, but he also surpassed his and others’ expectations, finishing the race at an all-time best average of 19 miles an hour.

“I left Lacrosse with new friends and a new support system, but I knew I could do more,” Pilney said.

This year, Pilney decided he is going to ride in the JDRF Death Valley Ride to Cure. The Death Valley ride route he plans on riding this October is 105 miles in one of the hottest parts of the country.

“I wanted to do something a little crazier,” Pilney said.

When he told others, they thought he was outrageous as well.

“My mom and the 8-year-old diabetic I peer mentor both thought I was crazy when I first told them,” Pilney said.

Crazy might be one word to describe Pilney, but motivated may be the word he prefers more.

“I love the challenge of doing it and seeing others become inspired too,” Pilney said.

For Pilney, riding is a humbling experience.

“The feeling you get when you do something for someone else is a really good feeling,” Pilney said. Experiencing Race to Cure is one unlike any other. “It’s such a sense of unity, because we’re all here for one cause.”

The reason Pilney rides may not be simple, but he can sum it up.

“I ride for all diabetics and everyone that’s been affected, maybe the people that can’t ride too,” Pilney said. “Diabetes is a lifelong fight that no one should have to deal with.”

Pilney will travel to California on Oct. 18, but he needs to raise $4,000 in order to participate. His goal is to have all his fundraising done in 244 days. Supporters can donate to his JDRF page by going to the JDRF main website, clicking on donate to a rider and then finding Pilney’s page.