Sunday, November 6, 2016

Two Wheels and a Dream: An Aligning of the Head and Heart



Imagine what it’s like to have to pay attention to everything you eat.  Then imagine having to check your blood sugar several times a day because the slightest change to your diet could literally put you in a life and death battle in the blink of an eye.  This is the life of a person with diabetes. 

According to the American Diabetes Association, 1.4 million Americans alone are diagnosed with diabetes every year.  (This does not include undiagnosed cases.)  It remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and yet it is a disease that does not get nearly as much attention as it should.

The documentary film project entitled “Two Wheels and a Dream,” follows Type 1 diabetic Deejay Viloria on a 600+ mile journey, cycling from Chula Vista to San Francisco.  I had the privilege of attending a Q and A with both Viloria and director Benito Baustista and was overwhelmed by their passion for this project.  As I listened to them speak about why they believe in this film, I couldn’t help but think of my own brother, and his daily struggle with the same disease.  Diabetes doesn’t just affect the person who has it: it affects one’s friends and family as well.

Viloria, now 35 years old, has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 23 years.  When he speaks about “Two Wheels and a Dream,” it is apparent that there was a time when diabetes controlled Viloria’s life. As a kid, we are taught to dream big, that we can be anything we want to be.  For Viloria, he dreamed of following in the footsteps of his dad and joining the navy.  Unfortunately, diabetes is a pre-existing condition.  His second dream of being a pilot was also “stripped” from him.

“The last dream I had left was when I learned how to ride a bicycle.  I went on a 50-mile bike ride in Mexico with my friends after college and loved it,” said Viloria.

Viloria then made his next dream to be to ride to his relatives in San Francisco.  When he describes how he reached that dream, Viloria uses the metaphor of an archer aiming for his target.

“This film is not so much about that 600-mile journey, it’s about the relationship between my head and my heart,” said Viloria.

“For the last maybe decade and a half, I’ve been up here,” as his motions to the top of his head.  “My mind, my brain is a time travel.  Why?  Because all the time it thinks about things in the past.  I got hurt before, I felt this before…I worried a lot about what happened.  And then I also travel to the future and worry about what tomorrow’s going to bring,” said Viloria.

Viloria then describes his heart as, “where I live, in the present.”  The two were misaligned.  One was constantly worrying about the what ifs, while the other one was just focusing on the present. 

“The journey is the pulling in focus on both my mind and my heart on one thing.  Pedal after pedal after pedal, hill after hill, dip after dip, valley after valley, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.  Everything’s aligned for that one target to get there,” said Viloria.

Viloria quickly realized that there were many contingencies to work on including what paths he would take, what would he need to eat to keep his blood sugar in check, etc.  But instead of worrying about that, he realized, “All I needed to do was share it with someone else who might know what they’re doing.”  That person turned out to be Bautista.

Bautista, a cyclist himself, describes Viloria as someone who brings so much joy to his life.  He mentions tacking J Street in San Diego, known for its hills, and how Viloria tackled it like a professional. 

“His mental toughness is amazing,” said Bautista.

As he goes into the intricacies of the documentary from a director’s point of view, it becomes clear that the film will explore so much more than a Type 1 diabetic and his dream.  Bautista describes it as a David vs. Goliath because we are rooting for the unlikely hero.  That unlikely hero is Viloria, but just as this film is about a “regular person,” it is also about a struggle that many of us can relate to.

According to Bautista, “the creation of the film is very meticulous and it has a lot of moving parts.”  This includes musical composition, editing, drama, reality, and the crew.  Together its moving pieces comprise a love story, a sense of community (the Filipino community, the community at large, and the cycling community), and the relationship between all of us and the environment, especially the environment we overlook.

The documentary will employ doctors and describe how diabetes can be monitored and managed.  It will also speak with family members and share their points of views.

As the sister of someone who struggles with Type 1 as well, I expressed my concerns for what could happen to Viloria if his blood sugar were to get too high or low during the ride.  Viloria assured me that he was working with his endocrinologist on getting his blood sugar higher before he rides, but a medic support van will also be coming on the journey in case of an emergency.  His readings from his insulin pump will be viewable online as he rides by the public.

Viloria plans on cycling between 40-50 miles a day, with a total of 673 miles.  He is expected to take off on November 26 (contingent on meeting their goal of $50,000), and plans to arrive in San Francisco within 13 days.  When he is not biking, he will be meeting with the community and camping out.  The trek will be broadcast live on social media.

As someone who has seen firsthand how this disease can literally put you at an all-time low, I am encouraged by the enthusiasm that everyone involved in this film puts forth.  We need more awareness of diabetes and we need this film to be made.  I ask my friends, friends of friends, to please support this film in any way that you can.  I share in their vision, and hope you will come along on the journey with me as well.  Together we can educate, learn how to set our own limits, and not let a disease define how we see and interact with the world.

To find out more about the campaign and to pledge please visit the following link:

To find out more about the documentary, please visit: