Athletes



"Use what talent you possess - the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."   Henry Van Dyke
The following are athletes' stories regarding living with Diabetes.
 

 
 Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 13, Fabio Calabria feared the condition might bring to an end his promising athletic career as a cyclist.  However, his strong determination to persevere and the decision to use an insulin pump helped him take control of his diabetes management.  It also provided him with the freedom and choices he initially lost when he was diagnosed.

 With his training routine re-established, Calabria began to show flashes of greatness at some prestigious events. In 2005, he won the New Zealand Under 19 National Road Race championship in a driving rainstorm, out-sprinting Chris Macic. That same year, he demonstrated his prowess on the track with a bronze medal in the 2005 Australia Junior National Track Championships. 

Last season, he won the King of the Mountains classification at the De Bortoli Tour in Victoria, Australia, and placed third at the 25th GP Cementizillo, a one-day road race in Italy.  As one of four pro team members with Type 1 diabetes, Calabria knows he will have the support of his teammates as he embarks on his rookie season as a professional.

 “My advice for other people with diabetes:  Control the condition, don’t let it control you.”

                                                    
 



My name is Lorrie DiCesare.  I've had Type 1 diabetes for about 28 years.  I've enjoyed participating in various sports throughout my life and have never let diabetes get in the way of my professional and athletic goals.  I've always accepted new challenges, especially when it comes to sports.  I love competitions, and work hard to be the best I can be. 

I was diagnosed with the disease at the start of my first year in high school.  I knew managing the disease would be demanding, but being as competitive as I am, I accepted the challenge.  During my high school and college careers, diabetes management was stringent.  Injections had to be taken at the same time each day, along with planned meals.  There were many dietary restrictions, and a meal plan was critical to successfully managing the disease.  I had to be able to adjust to changes in practice schedules and games, as well as stick to the structured diabetes management program that was available at the time. 

In high school, I played three sports, all at the varsity level from the beginning of my high school career.  I played volleyball, basketball and fast pitch softball.  I've played along side many outstanding athletes.  I have earned individual awards, as well as team championships, including a state basketball championship, which I am very proud of.  I continued my sports career in college, by earning an athletic scholarship in fast pitch softball as a pitcher.  After college, I continued playing softball, but switched from fast pitch to competitive slow pitch, traveling the country each weekend to play in tournaments.  I've also had the opportunity to coach girls’ basketball at the high school level and fast pitch softball at the college level.

 Finally, in the late 1990’s, I hung up my glove and spikes and sought out a new adventure.  I started running, biking and swimming, as well as weight training.  My initial goal was simply to remain physically fit and active.  However, that just wasn't enough for my competitive personality.  So, in 2003, I started training for my first triathlon.  During that year, I also started insulin pump therapy.  I love the flexibility the pump has awarded me, and I know that it's important to keep a close watch on blood glucose levels to remain healthy.  I've recently started using the continuous glucose monitor to help keep glucose readings in line, especially during exercise.  Thus far, I've competed in two triathlons and plan on competing in a couple more this summer.  I'm also planning to attend a summer sports camp for Type 1 diabetes to help improve both my athletic skills and diabetes management during exercise. 

As I look back over my 28 years since diagnosis, I can't believe how far diabetes management and technology has advanced.  I do wish for a cure, and hope there's one in the near future. Until then, I'll continue to manage the disease the best I can, and will take advantage of the latest and greatest technologies.  I accept this as a new challenge each day.


 


My name is Tim Phair and I am 29 yrs. old.  I live in the city and work at a private equity firm.  When I was growing up in Indiana, my parents encouraged my siblings and I to live active lifestyles.   I ended up playing every sport imaginable.  Toward the end of elementary school, I fell in love with soccer.   Immediately after our high school soccer season, while in my senior year,  I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  I was devastated, but determined to keep playing at a consistently high level.

After many letters and phone calls with various college coaches, I ended up playing soccer for Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA.  Although it was difficult to balance my diabetes with the new experiences of being a college student, I enjoyed every minute of my college soccer career.   The experience of having to balance a busy student/athlete life has undoubtedly helped me to become a more organized and healthy diabetic. 

After I left Boston, I began working with Monica Joyce and Dr. Pick.  They introduced me to the insulin pump.  The pump has made my experience with Type 1 Diabetes easier to manage and much more consistent.  It allows me to live on a schedule that I determine, not on a schedule that my blood sugars require.

Over the past seven years in Chicago, I have played in hundreds of soccer games, finished an Olympic triathlon and participated in various other activities such as basketball, softball, kickball, etc.  Much like every other Type 1 diabetic, I have had my ups and downs during these athletic activities but have managed to keep it fairly consistent after a lot of trial and error.   Due to soccer games usually being 90 minutes of continuous activity, it is fairly difficult to measure how much insulin you need in your body throughout the game without taking any breaks.  Normally, I try not to have a meal four hours prior to the game.  This only allows the regular basal amount to be in my body at the start of the game.   I like to have my blood sugar in the range of 145 - 165 ten minutes before the game.  At that time I will stop my pump and eat 15-20 grams of carbohydrates to make sure that my blood sugar will not drop drastically during the first 45 minutes.  During halftime I like to drink another 20 grams of carbohydrates and if my sugar has risen above 180, take one unit of insulin.  This will typically get me through the game with a consistent blood sugar without severe lows.  After the game, I usually cut my ratio of insulin to carbs to half and reduce my basal that night by 10-15%. 

Overall, it has been a challenge to keep my blood sugars consistent while playing athletics, but I have also found that athletics are one of the best tools to keep my levels consistent when I am off the field.  I tend to have more problems when I am less active.    I had many college soccer coaches express concern that I wouldn't be able to continue to play after high school due to my diagnosis.  It felt good to play against those coaches and show them that just because someone is a diabetic, doesn't mean their athletic life has to come to an end.
 


My name is Tamra Carl.  I am a 32 year old, former high school teacher and current stay-at-home mom.  I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 20.   I have always considered myself active, but decided to take my running to the next level and run a half marathon (13.1 miles).  While I hear it all the time about being involved in new and intense activities, it is true that it is important to test often.  When training for the half marathon, there is one run a week where I go beyond my normal workout level.  As these runs occur and increase in duration, I test myself every 30 minutes, which enables me to see patterns of my glucose levels.  For these longer runs and on race day, I eat a meal 3 hrs. prior to the start, so that I do not have any active insulin in my body (I try to do this as often as possible when I am doing any kind of workout.  If it is not possible to have this 3 hour span, I decrease my bolus for that meal prior to the workout).   I have my best runs when I begin at a blood glucose around 150.  While this may seem a little high, the activity brings it down.  During the runs, I use gel packs to provide me with the appropriate carbs and carry a package of fruit snacks in case I run low (running with a fuel belt filled with Gatorade is also useful).  I use 2 gel packs for the 13 miles.   

For runs beyond six miles, I use many of the different capabilities of the Medtronic MiniMed pump.  I sewed pouches into the inside of my running shorts to hold my pump.  I set a basal pattern of 0 for the first hour, and 50% of my normal basal rate for the rest of the run.  At mile 10, I give a bolus of .5 units.  The hardest part for me about training and participating in a race like this is that at some point within 24 hours after the run, I will have a time where I will need about 90 grams of carbs to maintain my glucose level.  It could be a couple hours after the race, around dinner time or 24 hours after the race.  Testing during those 24 hours after the race is very important because there is no definite pattern of when this will occur.  The night after the runs, I use a pattern set on my pump with a lower basal rate while sleeping because your glucose drops during that night.  There were a handful of people that questioned whether as a diabetic I should or could run a half marathon.  Being a diabetic doesn’t mean that I can’t do it, it just means that I have to take the extra time to eat, monitor and adjust my insulin dosage accordingly.

My email address is tamracarl@hotmail.com, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.


 


 I am an athlete of a different nature.  My name is Jay Franke.  My performances don't take place on the football field, the basketball court, or even a baseball diamond...in my case I am at home on a stage in front of a large audience.  I am a professional dancer.  Inspired to dance like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, I began dancing when I was 11 years old.  I had tried all the sports, but found my true love was dancing.  It made me feel free and I loved the challenge.  I studied very hard in junior high and high school and when I was 18 yrs. old,  I was accepted into The Juilliard School in NY, where I graduated with my BFA in dance.   I have since danced all over the world with many companies.

 Diabetes found me much later in life.  I was 29 years old and at the height of my career as a professional dancer with Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago, when I began to notice the symptoms. Dance and diabetes aren't exactly compatible.  I experienced the constant thirst, but as a dancer we drink a lot of water.  I experienced muscle cramps, but as a dancer we are taught to dance thru the pain.  Nevertheless, diabetes found it's way into my grueling rehearsal schedule, which would last for 10 hours daily, and even tried to make a few appearances on stage.   It was confirmed by my doctor, that I was diabetic.  

Dealing with diabetes and my very rigorous physical schedule has presented many challenges for me artistically and personally.  However,  I have always felt that the discipline I have as a dancer would help me conquer the very regimented life of a diabetic.  Of course, controlling my sugar levels was most important for me to be able to go onstage every night and not be too low or too high.  I have to check my sugar levels 3 to 4 times during the course of a performance and really listen to my body while I am onstage.  The rewards for me are a stress-free performance, where I can focus on the choreography
 and not worry too much about feeling bad while onstage.  Plus, I have been lucky to dance with other artists who are aware of my diabetic limitations.  I am living proof that diabetes doesn't have to change any dreams you may have for a career in dance or anything athletic for that matter.  Yes, it does require more discipline and tenacity in the challenge of these two working together. As for me, when the curtain goes up and the lights come on, I am so thankful that I met that challenge.  It allows me to do what I love most and that is to dance.  (Photo of Jay is courtesy of photographer, Cheryl Mann.)

     Our names are Allison and Melissa and we are 24 year old twin sisters who share many things, including Type 1 diabetes and a love for tennis.  We have been playing competitive tennis for 16 years; and we have actively lived with diabetes for over 20 years.  Managing our diabetes while playing Division I tennis was tough at times, but gave us opportunities and experiences that will stay with us forever.  We kept our coaches and teammates well informed about our diabetes, and when we weren’t moving as quick on the court, or hitting the ball as hard as usual, they would make sure we were feeling alright.  When playing any sport competitively, being prepared is very important.  Not only would we conduct a pre-match blood sugar, but we would often test throughout the match, making sure our blood sugar was at the perfect level.  Even today, when we are practicing or playing with friends, we always make sure to have snacks and Gatorade with us just in case we need an extra boost.  One thing that we have learned is that regardless of the sport you choose, diabetes will never hold you back from being a competitive athlete.
                                                                  
Melissa and Allison
 


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Music:  Mariah Carey's "Hero"