“To be at the United Nations and work together towards a common goal is a dream come true. Exercise is the billion-dollar drug that never gets prescribed, and it’s a big step that the UN is using the bike as part of its strategy to achieve success with its Sustainable Development Goals,”
Team Novo Nordisk Celebrates Second Annual World Bicycle Day at United Nations
The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team continues to use the bike as a platform to advocate for the diabetes community
New York, NY — Team Novo Nordisk headlined the United Nations Second Annual World Bicycle Day on June 3rd. The event celebrated the versatility, reliability and sustainability of the bicycle, and Team Novo Nordisk used the opportunity to share its mission to inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes.
The special event was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City in the North Lawn Park and included keynote speakers from the United Nations, Team Novo Nordisk CEO and Co-Founder Phil Southerland, Founder of World Bicycle Day Dr. Leszek Sibilski and Team Novo Nordisk athletes Brais Dacal and Becky Furuta. The event was co-organized by Canada, Bahrain, India, Indonesia, Liechtenstein and Turkmenistan.
“To be at the United Nations and work together towards a common goal is a dream come true,” said Southerland. “Exercise is the billion-dollar drug that never gets prescribed, and it’s a big step that the UN is using the bike as part of its strategy to achieve success with its Sustainable Development Goals.”
Southerland concluded the event with a call to action. He requested that the United Nations global leaders help mobilize funding so that all governments had the resources available to allow for equal access to care.
United Nations ambassadors who attended and spoke at the event included Aksoltan Ataeva, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations on behalf of the Steering Committee of the WBD, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Alison Smale, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, (on behalf of the Secretary General), and Juliette Mayabella Passer, Director of International Center for Transport Diplomacy, USA.
Team Novo Nordisk is a global all-diabetes sports team of cyclists spearheaded by the world’s first all-diabetes UCI Professional Continental cycling team. In 2012, Phil Southerland, co-founder and CEO of the team, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, came together to create Team Novo Nordisk, based on a shared vision to inspire, educate and empower people around the world affected by diabetes. For more information, go to www.teamnovonordisk.com.
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Photo courtesy of BrakeThroughMedia