Over 60% of the students at Simpson College are student-athletes, and balancing classes, practices and competition is part of everyday life. Though for gymnast Evalyn Resnick, this balance looks a little different. Managing Type 1 diabetes adds extra steps to her routine, but it’s something she has learned to navigate. 

Resnick was diagnosed at twelve years old after originally going to urgent care for a toothache, but little did she know her world would change. 

She started gymnastics when she was five, and it had to be put on hold once she was diagnosed. 

 “Gymnastics took a backseat for a while, which was strange for me because it’s been my number one priority my whole life,” she said. 

The first few months were especially challenging for her while she learned how to manage blood sugar levels, insulin and timing meals around practices. 

“I was really lucky in the gym because I had great coaches and teammates who were all supportive and wanted to help me as much as they could,” Resnick said. 

Even with the support of her coaches and teammates, keeping her blood sugar stable during practice and competitions was still a challenge. Though difficult, these experiences taught her resilience and gave her the confidence to know she could pursue gymnastics in college. 

“Honestly, I never doubted myself that I could do college sports,” she said. “I had it for long enough before college that I was confident in my ability to manage it. Being able to overcome it during middle school and high school gave me the confidence to be like I can go to college, and I can do it.” 

Managing Type 1 diabetes requires careful planning. The gymnastics team works out multiple times a day, including early morning lifts and regular afternoon practices, which means Resnick has to carefully time her meals and monitor her blood sugar throughout the day. She wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to make sure she is properly fueled for her levels to stay stable during lifts. 

To help manage her glucose, she wears a tubeless insulin pump called an Omnipod, which has to be changed every three days and constantly tracks her blood sugar levels. This pump allows her to inject specific doses of insulin (called a bolus) based on the amount of carbohydrates she eats. The pump connects to her phone, and she can create presets on how much insulin the pump gives her based on what she is about to eat or do. 

“I kind of eat the same things every day at the same times just because I know what to expect,” Resnick said. 

The pump has an activity mode she uses during practice, which lowers her basal insulin rate to keep her levels steady. 

The encouragement and help she receives from her family, coaches and teammates have been a key to her success. Her teammates quickly learned what her alarms meant, and they check up on her during practices. 

“Just two weeks ago, I had a really bad low during practice and didn’t have anything with me, so one of my teammates gave me her snack and made sure I was ok. It just means a lot to me,” Resnick said. 

A common misconception is all diabetes is the same, though this is not the case. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks the pancreas, preventing it from producing insulin. Insulin is a hormone which helps the body use sugar from food for energy or store it for later use. 

Type 2 is related to insulin resistance, where the body doesn’t use insulin effectively. This type is associated with lifestyle factors and can sometimes be managed with diet, exercise and medication. 

For National Diabetes Month, Resnick hopes her story can inspire and educate others about the realities of living with Type 1 diabetes. She encourages other student-athletes dealing with diabetes to be patient with themselves and remember perfection isn’t possible.

“It’s ok to want to give up, burnout is normal, but remember to keep going, acknowledge the suck, give a bolus and go on,” Resnick said. 

Resnick’s hard work also doesn’t go unnoticed. Her roommate, Bella Dix, sees Resnick’s determination.
“She works harder than a lot of athletes that I know. She literally does so much without complaining and she is just really inspirational,” Dix said.

Dix said Resnick has changed a lot for her.  “She is literally just the most amazing, incredible, inspiring, hardworking and most intelligent person I’ve ever met,” she said. “If I didn’t have her, I would have been missing out on a great friendship and person.”

Resnick’s journey serves as a reminder that no obstacle is too big when you are determined to chase your goals.