ST. ALBANS – This summer, Ian MacKenzie is going full circle with the SLAMT1D Vermont Summer Classic Wiffle Ball Tournament. The annual event helps raise awareness for Type 1 Diabetes, but it’s also all about having fun and building community.
Just over a decade ago, MacKenzie attended the event for the first time. He was just eight years old and had been recently diagnosed with Type 1. Life had been flipped upside down, and the SLAMT1D was the first event he attended and the first place he saw a glimmer of hope for a brighter future.
This summer, MacKenzie, a 2024 graduate of BFA-St. Albans, a University of Vermont student, has assembled a team of Franklin County friends and family to compete in the tournament.
In its 14th year, the tournament takes place August 8-10 at the Historic Little Fenway Complex in Essex, VT, where teams play on Wiffle ball-sized replicas of Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, or Field of Dreams.
Ian MacKenzie (front center) first participated in the SLAMT1D Vermont Summer Classic Wiffle Ball Tournament when he was eight years old, shortly after his T1 diagnoses.
Q&A with Ian MacKenzie
What inspired you to enter a team and revisit the SLAMT1D tournament? I wanted to come full circle because the tournament inspired me a lot when I first came as an eight-year-old. I’m excited to bring a team to the tournament and give back to the event that helped me when I was little, and maybe some kid will see us out there and do the same 10 years later.
When did you first attend the SLAMT1D tournament? After I was diagnosed with Type 1 in 2014, I first attended at eight years old after an invite as an honorary captain on the Trinity Bombers. I returned several years after my diagnosis, but then got busy with other activities.
What do you remember most about attending the event as a kid? When I was first diagnosed, a big thing for me was: What can’t I do now? Attending the event and seeing everyone having fun, laughing, and ignoring the negatives of Type 1 while acknowledging and embracing it, let me know Type 1 didn’t have to hold me back.
This summer, Ian MacKenzie is going full circle with the SLAMT1D Vermont Summer Classic Wiffle Ball Tournament on August 8-10.
What are you most looking forward to about returning with a team of your own? I’m looking forward to spreading the impact I received years ago and doing it with friends willing to commit to three days of Wiffle ball for a good cause. It means a lot to see that they care about it and are ready to have some fun.
What do you love about the SLAMT1D Tournament venue? The venue is pretty cool and very unique. It’s its own little thing with replicas of four famous fields, and it’s a little circle of joy and fun for three days. I especially enjoyed the night games under the lights.
What inspired the tournament? Jeff Kolok started the tournament in Essex, and now it’s a nationwide event. Both his daughter and son have Type 1. I played on his son’s and daughter’s team, the Trinity Bombers, when I was eight.
Ian MacKenzie and Porter Hurteau won the under-40 division of the Bay Day Triathlon Relay on July 5.
What has surprised you most about Type 1 now that you’re a decade in? There are a lot of negative things associated with Type 1; people think of the shots and finger pricks, but what they don’t see is having to step out of a playing field or watching friends and not being able to participate because of low sugar. On the other hand, what has surprised me is that Type 1 makes you incredibly independent and prepared for the unexpected because there are real consequences if you aren’t. You can be 10 minutes away from death many times a day.
How have you persevered in pursuing high-energy sports like Alpine Ski Racing and cycling? It’s one day at a time. I was diagnosed in winter, and my favorite thing to do was skiing. That became an escape. When I’m skiing or biking, I don’t think about Type 1.
Eventually, those things became things I loved to do, and I pursued them competitively in high school and college. That question of “What can’t I do?” is always in my mind whether it’s a ski race, bike race, or learning to unicycle, and that mindset keeps me going. It was a progression, and it’s played out well. I love everything I do, being able to practice and compete in those sports every day in college. That’s something the eight-year-old me would have loved to hear. Back then, I thought a lot of fun would be taken out of life, but that’s definitely not the case. I joke with my University of Vermont Cycling teammates since I have an advantage with my glucose monitor and can see how much fuel I need for rides. So, it’s become a cycling hack.
How can people show their support for the tournament? The best thing to do is to come and watch. It will be a pretty cool event. The second is to support one of the teams that directly support the event through sponsorships or donations. You can support the Wild Wifflers here:
What does it mean to you to have support from friends, family, and teammates? It means so much to me, and I wouldn’t have been able to do what I have with skiing, biking, or life in general without my family, friends, teammates, and coaches. The SlamT1D tournament is one more showcase of the amazing people around me who are willing to help. I want to thank all of them for their support.
What should people expect at the SLAMT1D tournament? The opening games are played on Friday, including night games such as the All-Star Game, which are really cool. Saturday playoff games begin, and there’s a home run derby. On Sunday, there are more final games, culminating in a championship. The tournament has good vibes and is a lot of fun.
What mindset has helped you persevere through adversity? You never know what can happen in your life, so you have to embrace what you have, make the most of every day, and always have fun. Just because accomplishing something might be easier for someone else, that doesn’t mean they take more joy or satisfaction than me. That’s the reason why I’m doing the tournament and how I try to live every day.
