Mark Jones-Maynard is a dedicated full-time firefighter and Nationally Registered Paramedic with the Westwood, MA Fire Department.

Outside of his work, Mark channels his lifelong passion for music as a drummer, with years of experience across various aspects of music, including marching percussion, jazz band, progressive metal bands, and teaching as a percussion instructor. An avid sports enthusiast, Mark has always maintained an active lifestyle, with pickleball being his latest favorite pursuit.

Diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at just six months old, he has successfully managed the condition for over 32 years, maintaining excellent health and avoiding any long-term complications associated with T1D.

Above all, Mark is a proud father to two young boys and a devoted husband, embodying resilience and balance both at work and home.

Mark Jones Maynard Facebook Contact: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1221790346

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This episode hits close to home for me. My father is a retired firefighter of 32 years. I grew up in a firefighting family learning discipline and honor. Everything that Mark discusses today about his occupation is a reflection of the culture I grew up in.

I want to extend a huge thank you to all EMS personnel, Nurses, Police Officers, essential workers, and Firefighters. You are crucial to our protection and safety. Mark, as a T1D, is beyond an inspiration for what he does.

Please enjoy our conversation.

In May 2024, I spent seven full days on the Kahiltna Glacier and at Denali Basecamp. Denali is the tallest mountain in North America. We'll cover my time during the Denali Prep Course and how my T1D body reacted to life on the glacier.

This is T1Determined.

Ben Wessel played baseball as a pitcher at the University of Rhode Island (Class of 2017). Just turned 30, Ben has had Type-1 Diabetes for 23 years since he was 7 years old. Growing up playing sports year-round and earning scholarships to play baseball at the collegiate level, he has learned a lot about how to maximize performance while controlling blood glucose.

Thank you Ben for enriching our audience with an immense amount of knowledge and for providing us with multiple actionable items. Please enjoy our conversation.

Taylor Adams is a T1D mountaineer and flight nurse from Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the first Type-1 Diabetic to summit all of the Seven Summits (the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents, including Mount Everest) with an insulin pump.

On this episode, we sit down with Taylor, over video chat, to discuss both the physicality and the mentality that goes into climbing with T1D. Taylor is a wealth of knowledge. I hope you learn a lot from our discussion.

LINK: Taylor's climbing Instagram Page

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Today, we delve into my personal diagnosis events with Type-1 Diabetes. While future episodes will be conversational-based, I see this first episode as a chance for you, the audience, to get to know me as a host.

In a story-based format, we dive into my life leading up to my diabetic-ketoacidosis hospitalization. In July 2019, at the new age of 21, I lost more than 20lbs in less than three weeks ultimately discovering that I am a Type-1 Diabetic.

Being an avid hiker, and goal-oriented toward mountain objectives, my doctors told me it could be a full year before attempting any major excursion in the mountains. Less than three months after my diagnosis, I was standing on the highest summit in the Rocky Mountain Range.

These events implemented the mindset I'd take with me during my lifestyle change. Years later, this mindset has helped me create the concept of T1Determined.

Whether you are a T1D or not, I hope you can take something useful from this story. Please enjoy Episode 01 - The Origin Story of The T1Determined Podcast.

A look into Season 1 of the T1Determined Podcast... coming Spring 2024