After Rob Palmer, a TV presenter who has had type 1 diabetes since he was 7 years old, won Australia’s Dancing with the Stars after a close competition and after the Grand Finale, the type 1 diabetes community was abuzz with the news. Rob has a long-standing role as the handyman on one of Australia’s leading lifestyle shows, Better Homes and Gardens.
On the night of the Grand Finale, JDRF sent Rob a booklet full of messages from supporters, which he described as “a real tear-jerker.” JDRF Australia President Sue Alberti, AO, also congratulated Rob for his dancing achievements and said, “You are a champion in more ways than one.”
Rob’s approach to managing type 1 diabetes is simple: live life to the fullest. “I say ‘yes’ first and work out how to manage diabetes afterward. Whatever you do, don’t let type 1 diabetes make your decisions for you.”
With his positive attitude and warm personality, Rob has become a role model for many people with type 1 diabetes. One nine-year-old boy, who sent a message through the JDRF website, said, “You have shown me I can do anything I want in life when I get older like you.”