fasten your seatbelts

PROJECT 50-IN-50 was the brainchild of Patrick Mertes and Michael Shelver, two outdoorsmen, living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), dedicated to proving to the world that anything is possible with T1D. During this project, Patrick and Michael traveled to each of the 50 states in the United States and summited the highest peak in each individual state. The catch? The duo completed the entire expedition in less than 50 days! (49 Days; 1 Hour; 9 Mins; 31 Seconds)

Since first attempted in 1966, less than 300 people have successfully summited all 50 state high points--most do so over the course of their lifetime--none of those who have achieved this have been living with T1D. Until now.

During this expedition, the team road tripped over 18,000 miles--hiked, ran, and skied over 315 miles of trails--and completed all of this while navigating the highs and lows of type 1 diabetes.

Creating a movement

PROJECT 50-IN-50 was more than just a monumental expedition of two outdoorsmen--its goal was to CREATE A MOVEMENT! The PROJECT was dedicated to building both local and global diabetes communities and inspiring those communities, through the expedition, to GET OUTSIDE! The PROJECT proved that with proper planning, ANYTHING is possible with type 1 diabetes.

building Community

Local Communities/Boots on the Ground: The team live-tracked their progress using real-time GPS and social media updates. Community members were invited and encouraged to hit their home-state trail with the team. Patrick and Michael had the privilege of meeting and climbing mountains with dozens of folks from every corner of the US!

Global Community: From training and nutrition prep, to diabetes management, to the expedition itself — Patrick and Michael documented every step of the journey with full transparency (not just the highlight reel!). The team used social media to connect PROJECT 50-IN-50 to thousands of members of the global diabetes community.

Crowdfunding for the community

PROJECT 50-IN-50 was the largest fundraising initiative of The Diabetes Family Connection (The DFC) - a 501(c)(3), tax exempt nonprofit organization on a mission to positively transform life with diabetes through the power of community. With a HUGE THANKS to our donors, the expedition was able to raise over $30,000 for programs that get kids, families, and adults affected by T1D OUTDOORS!