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Home > Knowledge & support > Resource hub > Good days and bad days – learning to manage type 1 diabetes as a professional footballer
Finding out I had type 1 diabetes at the age of 27 was a huge shock for both me and my family. In a way though my diagnosis actually came as a relief as it provided an explanation for the physical struggles I had suddenly been experiencing in my professional life. Looking back, I had been showing all the typical type 1 symptoms for many months, but I just wasn’t aware of what they were at the time. Gaining this understanding of what was happening to my body allowed me to take back control of my health.
Professional sport can be unforgiving, and I initially feared having a condition that I couldn’t control may be seen as a weakness. I challenged myself to get back to performing at my best and prove that it wasn’t. 18 months after my diagnosis, I gained a promotion to League One with Plymouth Argyle and I am now more in control of my physical health than ever before.
Regular testing and keeping track of any irregularities throughout the first year helped build my confidence and understanding of the way my body reacted to different situations. A match-day atmosphere or the elation of a last-minute winner could swing my sugars one way or the other. I learned how to adjust my insulin dosage to proactively combat this. Now two years on, I am still learning how different factors can impact my sugars and how to adapt accordingly. I always take extra ‘goodies’ on away trips and ask our goalkeeper to keep an energy gel behind the goal to make sure I am prepared for anything unexpected.
Modern technologies have definitely played a big part in helping me on my journey so far. I have used the Dexcom G6 and I am currently using the Freestyle Libre. These are both compatible with my smartphone and make monitoring sugars on-the-go stress free. I believe they are a key tool for someone with diabetes to have and would encourage anyone to give them a go.
You have good days and bad days with diabetes; the good are easy to take in your stride and the bad not so much. On days when things aren’t running as smoothly as I’d like I just remind myself that it’s ok not to be perfect and that every day is a learning day. Diabetes should never hold you back from anything, you can take it wherever you want to go.
12-year-old Aadil was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just before his eleventh birthday. Aadil and his dad Sheraz, a cardiologist, told us about their experience, from the differences in their reactions to how they support each other now.
Guillermo Garcia is on a mission to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to complete all six World Marathon Majors, fundraising for Breakthrough T1D at the same time
Diagnosed at the age of two, Peter Davies talks about changes in type 1 technology, the importance of peer support and the positive mindset that’s helping him manage a new diagnosis of Parkinson’s.
Manisha is a design and technology teacher with a passion for raising awareness about type 1.
14-year-old Kitty was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was four. Here, along with mum Jodi, she tells us how setting up Maidstone's first Pride event gave her the confidence to use a CGM for the first time.
Our Scientific Advisory Council makes sure that the research we fund and the policy work we do in the UK is the most promising and relevant for people living with type 1 diabetes.
Seth Moores was diagnosed as being in the early stages of type 1 diabetes through the JDRF-funded ELSA study. In this blog, his mum, Clare, tells us how getting diagnosed early has prepared them for what lies ahead.
Nadeem Masood talks to us how he manages type 1 diabetes at work, whether he’s in the office or out and about at events.
