Skye, 12, from Norfolk, lives with type 1 diabetes and loves football; she is a goalkeeper for her school and local team. Skye has also taken part in fundraising challenges, helping to raise money and awareness, and connect with others living with type 1.
Managing diabetes isn’t always easy, particularly if you play sports. Skye shares with us how she manages her diabetes while living with type 1 diabetes.
"Hi, I’m Skye, aged 12, from Norfolk and I love playing football. I’m currently the goalkeeper for the school team and my local team."
Skye says she often has busy weeks of training when she spends more days on the pitch than off. As a result, it’s been hard work finding the right routine to ensure type 1 diabetes doesn’t get in the way when she's on the pitch.
"I’m incredibly lucky to have an awesome diabetes team that has helped and supported me in adjusting my insulin and working out the right programme for me.
"My dietitian has helped me find the right balance of carbohydrate before I start playing football, and also to help prevent blood sugar lows hours after the game."
Preparation before a game is key
"To make sure my diabetes doesn’t get in the way of playing football I have to be prepared. Before training or a match, I have a breakfast consisting of beans on toast, and will then monitor my blood sugar that morning or before the match. I’m very lucky to have the technology to help me monitor my blood sugar levels before I play.
"I keep a close eye on my Dexcom to see what my levels are and if I need to eat an extra snack. I will often use the temporary basal feature on my Omnipod Dash an hour before and throughout the match which can help prevent me from going low. Throughout training or a match, I will sip an energy drink to keep my blood sugar within my target range, and U always have a hypo treatment nearby.
"Playing as a goalkeeper can be tricky in a match situation, as my team may not give me much to do, which is great for the score but it can also send my blood sugar levels high. I try to manage this at half-time by checking my blood sugar levels and I usually have a good idea of where they are heading.
"Living with type 1 and preventing hypers and hypos can be a challenge when playing sports, but I won’t let diabetes stop me from playing the game I love!"
