BREAKINGLimits

Life on the Edge

Every day, millions of people with Type 1 diabetes make hundreds of invisible decisions simply to stay alive.

These athletes make them at 230 miles an hour, out on open water, high on remote mountains, and everywhere in between, proving that diabetes doesn't have to limit your life.

Synopsis

Breaking Limits is a feature documentary about elite athletes who compete at the highest level of their sports while living with Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition that never takes a day off. From the IndyCar track to the Olympic pool, from the backcountry to open water, the film follows Olympians, world champions and pros through training, competition and the constant, quiet work of keeping their blood sugar in balance.

Guiding the journey is director Dylan Leonard, a former college athlete diagnosed with Type 1 at 15. Alongside the athletes, their families and leading endocrinologists, he asks the questions every newly diagnosed person carries: What can I still do? And who has done it before me?

In the US alone, around 75 people are diagnosed every day, many of them kids. More than a film about diabetes, Breaking Limits is a story about adapting to a life forever changed, and a lasting resource for every family just starting out.

“If I’d had something like this when I was diagnosed, it would have given me some hope that everything was going to be all right.”
Jordan MorrisMLS and USMNT

From the film

A lone figure standing on a snowy ridge before a mountain peak
A frozen river winding through snow-covered mountains, seen from the air
The gravestone of Sir Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin, with insulin pens left on top
Fiona Wylde mid-interview, lit by window light
Kendall Simmons loading a plate in an Auburn weight room
Katie Bone bouldering on an overhang
Jordan Morris on the pitch for Seattle Sounders FC
A snowboarder carving through fresh powder below a sunlit mountain ridge
Kendall Simmons during his interview, a photo of him in his Steelers jersey behind him
Close-up of a sled dog's amber eyes, its face dusted with snowflakes
A dog sled team running through falling snow
An insulin pen resting among stones
Kendall Simmons's wife during her interview
Dr. Mike Riddell smiling in his lab
Fiona Wylde on a foil board, shot half underwater
Fiona Wylde paddling a foil board above the water
Katie Bone during her interview in a climbing gym
Dr. Bruce Perkins speaking at his desk
Kendall Simmons talking with his family in the kitchen
Two people skinning across a snowy ridge under a wide streaked sky
Sean Busby reflected in a mirror in the snow
A bearded man in a black beanie mid-interview beside a cabin window
Katie Bone climbing a steep bouldering wall
A young man talking through research with Dr. Mike Riddell in front of lab posters
Used insulin pens left among stones
Kendall Simmons looking up in an empty football stadium
Two dog sled teams crossing a frozen lake, seen from above
Dr. Anne Peters during her interview
Fiona Wylde wing foiling among kitesurfers below desert mountains
Katie Bone reaching for a hold, her CGM visible on her arm

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes worldwide in 2026

—

About one person every minute. Roughly 1,450 today alone, many of them kids.

Estimate based on the DIAMOND-T1D model: about 530,000 new diagnoses a year (2025).

The athletes

Fiona Wylde wing foiling on open water

Fiona Wylde

World Champion Water Sports Athlete

@fiona_wylde
Katie Bone walking off the wall at the IFSC Lead and Speed World Cup

Katie Bone

American Ninja Warrior Champion and Speed Climber

@_katiebone_
“Yeah, it’s hard, but it can never, ever stop you from doing anything.”
Conor DalyIndyCar

The experts

“This documentary will change everything. Look what these people have accomplished. Look at the grit, the determination.”
Dr. Mike RiddellExercise physiology and Type 1 diabetes

Why we're making this film

I hid my diabetes and the struggles that came with it, fearing my teammates and coaches would see it as an excuse.

As a former college athlete diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 15, I faced immense challenges. Managing my condition during training was isolating, without the resources or support to guide me. Raised by a single mother, we couldn't afford the latest technology or frequent doctor visits.

I pushed past my limits, even as my blood sugar dropped, not wanting to be seen as less dedicated. Over time, I realized there was little representation of diabetics achieving extraordinary things, and those misconceptions held many people back from pursuing their passions.

This film is meant to be a resource for newly diagnosed T1Ds and their families: answers, new perspectives, and a sense of community, and proof that with the right tools they can do incredible things.

Dylan Leonard, Director

Dylan Leonard on a snowboard, adjusting a camera on a tripod on a snowy ridge

Behind the scenes

Aerial view of snowy mountains and a winding frozen river valley
Crew rigging lights on a ladder inside a climbing gym
An interview set with lights and camera in a room full of surfboards
A man smiling and gesturing toward a park, with crew filming in the background
Two crew members with skis and a snowboard looking out over a mountain valley
A cinema camera with a monitor set up on a sandy beach
Crew talking between setups in front of a climbing wall
The Banting family gravestone under trees
A camera monitor showing an interview in progress in a wood cabin
Crew talking beside a red Jeep at sunset
An interview set lit in front of a climbing wall, with crew at the camera
Lights and a camera set up for an interview in an office
Crew snowshoeing single file through a snowy spruce forest
A crew member prepping cameras and lenses on a long table in a barn
Sled dogs and crew at a snowy camp among spruce trees
Two men standing together outside a building
A camera monitor on the beach showing the shot
Green northern lights over a line of dark spruce trees
“I think this film is so important because I can see what other people are capable of.”
Fiona WyldeWorld Champion Water Sports Athlete

The filmmakers

Press

World Diabetes Day · Chicago · Nov 14, 2025

Rising Above T1D

Dylan took the stage at Risely Health's World Diabetes Day event to premiere a first look at Breaking Limits, and to share why he is making it: for the kid he was at 15, newly diagnosed and without the resources he needed, and why it will be free for anyone to watch.

Dylan on stage beside a screen showing his name and photos Event sign for Rising Above T1D 2025, brought to you by Risely Health

What people are saying

“Thank you for making this film. It’s so important and needed, for the kids who live with it and honestly for the parents who need hope too. I’d love for our son to see it and see all that he can do to follow his dreams, whether it’s to make a film, climb a mountain or ski down one!”
A mom in Colorado, six months after her son’s diagnosis
“Too many people live in fear as T1Ds. Can’t wait to see your film!”
A Type 1 founder, after the Risely talk
  • Breaking Limits is going to be a must see!Trista, Team Risely
  • Whoaaaa, I cannot wait to see this. Chills and tears 💙💙💙Bethie F.
  • I’m so excited to see this when it comes out!Holly R.
  • I can’t wait to watch this movie.Dawn H.
  • Going to buy a Morris jersey now.Julia L.
  • Woo hoo! That was great!Dan S.
  • Looks awesome! Must see!Alissa M.
  • That looks so good!Abby C.

Listen

Help us finish the film

Production 90% completeReleasing free on YouTube, Nov 14, 2027

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We're raising finishing funds for the last interviews, the edit, music, sound and color. Every dollar goes into the film.

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Bring the film to your clinic, school, camp or T1D community group. Tell us where and we'll help make it happen.

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