How Taekwondo Helped Me Cope with Type 1 Diabetes
8 Year Old Pepper, a T1D and Yellow Belt in Taekwondo • February 4, 2020
TL;DR
After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age seven, Pepper struggled with constantly thinking about blood sugar levels, insulin doses, and diabetes devices. Everything changed when Taekwondo became an outlet for building confidence, focus, and resilience. By discovering a passion outside of diabetes, Pepper learned that while T1D is part of life, it doesn't have to define every moment. Her story encourages children with diabetes to find activities that bring joy, confidence, and balance.
Adjusting to Life After a Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
I was diagnosed with Type 1 when I was 7 years old and I wasn’t sure how my life would change, but I knew it was going to change forever. At first, I would think about diabetes all the time. I would worry that my blood glucose number was too high or too low. I would stress about my CGM insertion and pod insertion. I would wake up thinking about diabetes and spend the whole day thinking about what I should eat and when and how much to dose.
Building Confidence Beyond Type 1 Diabetes
Then I
started Taekwondo and I stopped constantly thinking about diabetes. When I’m on the mat sparring, I don’t have room in my head to think about diabetes. I’m too busy punching and kicking and blocking. And even when I’m off the mat, I don’t think about diabetes all the time anymore because I think about my forms and improving my balance and competing. I still think about diabetes a lot, but not as much as before. Maybe Taekwondo isn’t for everyone, but I hope everyone with diabetes finds something they love to take their mind off diabetes.
