Erika Szumel on Building Confidence to Do Hard Things with T1D

Erika Szumel has lived with type 1 diabetes for 25 years, works on the Blue Circle Health community engagement team, and is currently training for another marathon. But this episode isn’t really about running. It’s about doing hard things with type 1 diabetes.

Scott and Erika explore what confidence actually looks like when you live with T1D, and why it’s often not something you have before you begin. Through stories from marathon training, diabetes management, setbacks, and self-doubt, Erika shares how confidence is built through experience, experimentation, adaptation, and simply taking the next step.

Along the way, they discuss the fear of failure, learning from mistakes, the value of community, and why waiting until you feel completely ready may keep you from doing things that matter most. Whether your challenge is athletic, professional, personal, or diabetes-related, this conversation offers encouragement and practical perspective for moving forward even when the outcome feels uncertain.

What You'll Learn

• Why confidence is something you build, not something you need before you start
• How marathon training helped Erika rethink challenges both inside and outside of diabetes
• The role experimentation, adaptability, and self-trust play in living well with T1D
• Why setbacks and frustrating diabetes days don’t mean you’re failing
• How community and shared experience can make difficult goals feel more achievable
• Practical ways to approach intimidating goals one step at a time
• Why perfection isn’t required before pursuing something meaningful
• How lessons learned from doing hard things can carry into every area of life

Key Quotes

• “Living with diabetes is already an incredible challenge that you take on every single day... Anything else is nowhere near as challenging as diabetes is.” – Erika Szumel
• “You don't need to climb the whole staircase, you just need to take the first step and that's it.” – Erika Szumel
• “The more you go on, the more you trust yourself and feel that confidence.” – Erika Szumel

Resources & Links

• Diabetes Nerd podcast episode - https://youtu.be/4WKjILgEtVM
• Type One Run on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/typeoneruncommunity
• Breakthrough T1D Teams - https://www2.breakthrought1d.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=run_homepage
• American Diabetes Association Teams - https://diabetes.org/event/2026-team-diabetes-chicago-marathon
• TeamCWD - https://childrenwithdiabetes.com/events/teamcwd/
• Beyond Type 1 - https://beyondtype1.org/marathon-team/
• Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org

What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D?

The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D.

Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org/.