April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
RAISING AWARENESS
Diabetic cyclist rides to fight climate change
Last month, he rode his bicycle from New York City to Washington, D.C., to spread awareness about climate change, learn the importance of teamwork and push the physical boundaries presented by his Type 1 diabetes.
"It did so much more than I expected," Mr. Trolio said of the event, known as Climate Ride. "I gained more from this ride than probably any experience that I've ever had."
A parishioner of Our Lady of Grace Church in Ballston Lake, Mr. Trolio is married with two children. He was introduced to Climate Ride by his 22-year-old son, Ben. Climate Ride advocates for sustainability, active transportation and other environmental causes.
The younger Trolio recently finished a degree in environmental conservation studies; he spent summers doing environmental work that involved two 1,200-mile bike rides. He now works for the Better Future Project, an organization that aims to make communities stronger by transitioning them away from fossil fuels.
I'm in
Mr. Trolio, who is co-director of the New York State and CSEA Partnership for Education and Training, trained volunteers for his son's internship programs. The young environmental activists had such an impact on Mr. Trolio that he barely had to give Climate Ride any thought when his son announced his own intention to participate.
"It's wonderful to have people of that age inspire someone like me," said Mr. Trolio, 55, a hiker and runner who took up cycling a year ago. "I've always been concerned about the environment, [and] this was a way that I can contribute to [solving] climate change."
Through the ride, he raised almost $2,800, earmarked for the Better Future Project.
Though his new bike has racked up at least 1,700 miles, Mr. Trolio had never done anything as intense as pedaling up to 70 miles per day for five days. He's been insulin-dependent since being diagnosed with diabetes at age 12.
Back then, there were no blood glucose meters and he had to keep to a consistent eating schedule. Today, he administers his own insulin shots four times a day. He's never had major complications, but he wasn't sure he'd finish the biking trip.
"Never in my dreams growing up did I ever expect that I'd be able to do something like this," Mr. Trolio said. "Once I got through day one, I felt like, 'You know what? I'm going to do this.' A different type of prayer occurs when you're on your bike on a half-mile hill with a 15-degree grade."
Sweet moments
He checked his blood sugar at every planned stop and talked to God often: "It was prayers of thanks [and] prayers for strength."
When the cyclist encountered other riders and staff members who had relatives with diabetes, they applauded his efforts. "I expected to be inspired; I didn't expect that I would be inspiring other people," he said.
Fellow riders lifted his spirits on difficult days. The feeling extended beyond the physical demands of the ride to the task of changing hearts on the topic of climate change.
"To me, Climate Ride has just started," Mr. Trolio said. "We brought together people who care passionately about the environment. We can only do so much as individuals. There's so much more we can do together. We really have to look at the full range of our society."
Mr. Trolio got donations toward the Better Future Project from Our Lady of Grace parish, where he assists with the confirmation program and children's liturgy; he plans to speak to parishioners and faith formation students about the ride. He will also talk to his staff at work and to CSEA headquarters employees.
Faith-based cause
His faith motivates his interest in environmentalism: "God calls on us to be stewards of the earth. I've been blessed to live in an environment that is really here for everybody.
"This is not really our earth; it's God's earth," he continued. "It's not just, 'What do we not do to not mess things up?' but it's, 'What do we do now to mitigate the effects of climate change?'"
His suggestions include attending town meetings to push decision-makers to consider sustainability and communicating with leaders at all levels of government.
Mr. Trolio's other big take-away from the Climate Ride was less tangible. He was pleased when a rider who had kept him company one day sought him out the next day because she felt comfortable riding with him.
"We never know what effect we're going to have on people until it happens," he concluded. "We have to be ready for the fact that we always have the opportunity to make a positive impact."[[In-content Ad]]
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