Rafael Pepen was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 17, right in the middle of rehearsing for his very first musical in the Dominican Republic. Without access to a CGM or carb counting education, he learned to manage largely on instinct. Years later, he moved to the US, pursued his dream of performing professionally, and eventually landed at Disney, where he now performs five high cardio shows a day.

In this episode, Rafael sits down with Lauren to talk about what it actually looks like to manage T1D in a life that never slows down. He shares the months of burnout, panic attacks around lows, and constant roller coaster blood sugars that led him to seek coaching, and what shifted on the other side of that.

WHAT WE COVER:

What it was like to be diagnosed at 17 in the Dominican Republic with limited access to education, CGMs, or carb counting guidance
The unique challenge of managing T1D across five high cardio shows a day and why it is a completely different beast from a traditional performance schedule
The moment things started to unravel at Disney and what five months of daily lows, panic attacks, and burnout actually felt like from the inside
What shifted when Rafael started working with a Risely coach and the tools that made the biggest difference for his day to day management
The emotional side of T1D that most people never talk about, including what it felt like to cry during a low and the moment that started to change
What Rafael is still working toward and the one thing he wants most from his relationship with diabetes going forward

WHAT’S NEXT:

📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.

🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.

📊 Diabetes burnout is real, and it can show up in ways you don’t always expect. Take the Diabetes Distress assessment and see where you score.

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us:

Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
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