My seven year old daughter has had type�1 diabetes since she was three years old and wants to be a squash champion. Can she be a squash champion, which requires a lot of training and physical effort? What are the precautions to take?

If your daughter’s dream is to become a squash champion and she puts the hard work, training and determination that it will take into it, then her diabetes does not have to stand in her way. Gary Hall, winner of Olympic gold in the pool in Sydney, is a perfect example of that! (Gary Hall has type 1 diabetes too.)

She will need to work closely with her diabetes team, as well as be an active part of her own diabetes management as she matures. Her blood sugars will need to be tightly controlled and she will need to understand how to adjust insulin dosages and food intake for the rigorous exercise that training entails. Frequent blood sugar monitoring will be a necessity, as will prevention of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Talk to the members of your daughter’s diabetes team for assistance with this. Being an elite athlete with diabetes may take some additional work to appropriately manage blood sugar, but athletes with diabetes will tell you it is well worth it! Diabetes does not have to keep your daughter from her dreams. To meet other athletes with diabetes, you may want to contact the DESA (Diabetes, Exercise, and Sports Association).

DMW