At the age of 24, on 27th May 2017, my life changed forever. Let’s rewind a few years and I will give you the low down on how I almost lost my sight, my BMI dropped dangerously low; yet I was still competing at a high level of sport.

My name is Elise Quarrington and I am a 27-year old GB age group triathlete with Type 1 diabetes. In the run up to being diagnosed (yes there are going to be sport-related puns throughout), it’s safe to say I was pretty unwell.

Surprise diagnosis

It took months of having symptoms (extreme thirst, lethargy, loss of weight and sight, frequent urination - probably from the 7L of water a day I was drinking….) for me to go and get checked out by the GP as I never thought it would be something serious.

At the GP’s office, my blood sugar reading was 32mmol/L (ideal levels are between 4-7mmol/L). I was whisked to hospital and told I was very lucky not to be in a diabetic coma (when your blood sugar levels are dangerously high, causing loss of consciousness).

Since then, I have been injecting myself 10-15 times a day and have a new respect for my body. I am still training and aiming to race in some elite open water swim races over the coming years.

Support and mindset

Diabetes is a tough mental battle. I am a pretty positive person and I believe that living with diabetes has strengthened me.

Having a good support system in place definitely improves my management and mentality around diabetes too.

My amazing parents have stood around a triathlon course holding food out for me. And my partner has been my rock throughout, always there as a shoulder to cry on or to run through a field with a bag of jelly babies to get to me during a bad hypo.

I have been extremely lucky with the support I have and feel like I now have the chance to support others on their journey. Through the power of social media, I have been able to connect with a wide group of Type 1s and have felt part of a huge online community of people living with diabetes.

Data with a simple scan

A significant improvement in the management of my condition came about when I started using the FreeStyle Libre system. Suddenly I could check my sugar levels every few minutes with a simple scan, rather than pricking my fingers to get yet more blood out of tired, calloused fingers^†.

It has made my hypo awareness better, and I can see trends of when I spike or drop throughout the day^φ. A huge benefit for me is that I can use it on the bike/runs without stopping.

Let’s talk about it

I always get asked what the ‘patch’ (the FreeStyle Libre sensor) is on my arm - one person even asked if I had been tagged by the police… At first I felt anxious talking about my diabetes, fearing I would be judged. But now, I find it a great way to raise awareness as there is so little knowledge around the subject. So now I encourage questions and love talking about having diabetes.

If there is one message I want to get out there, it’s that diabetes isn’t going to stop you. I am a sports model, GB age group triathlete and run my own small business.

Don’t be afraid to ask for support - use social media to your advantage and to make friends. I like to remember that I have diabetes, but diabetes doesn’t have me.

Elise Quarrington is a triathlete, sports model and videographer who lives with Type 1 diabetes. Follow Elise on Instagram @the.athletic.diabetic