Alissa's Fitness Blog

Alissa's Diabetes and Fitness Blog

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Discussion of Diet and Fitness as a tool to manage Diabetes

Having a Blast – A FitAlissa Interview with 15 Year Old Champion Whitewater Kayaker/Olympic Hopeful and T1D Sage Donnelly

I recently met Sage Donnelly while she was training in San Marcos,Tx 45 minutes south of Austin,Tx just before she was to make the 3 day trek with her mom back home to Carson City Nevada, in a comfy van which is their home away from home.  This is the first of a 2 part video interview, where we discuss topics ranging from how she manages her diabetes when training and competing to the 2020 Olympics, to her favorite shopping in Texas!  Find out what makes this up and coming world class athlete tick, and how she manages her diabetes while competing at the highest level.  I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed talking with Sage!

Sage Donnelly( image from www.SageDonnelly.com )

Here is a bio of Sage, from her website www.SageDonnelly.com

Named Canoe and Kayak Magazine's 2014 Female Paddler of the Year and is currently the World Freestyle Jr. Women's Champion, the US 2014 C1 Women's National Slalom Champion and 3rd in Women's K1 Slalom, at 15, Sage Donnelly is a rising star in the world of whitewater kayaking, mastering the diverse skills necessary for both freestyle and slalom kayaking. But it hasn't always been easy.

Sage was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 3 years old. She developed it at the same age as her Grandfather who passed away from complications from the disease.  She took her diagnosis like a trooper, but it was still hard to adjust to a minimum of 4 shots a day, 20 finger pricks a day, and regimented eating schedules. Within 6 months of her diagnosis, she received her first pump, an Animas IR 1200, and we watched her blood sugars become more stabilized and under control. We enjoyed the freedom of control the pump offered as well as only giving her 1 shot every 3 days for a new catheter site for insulin delivery.

Sage has not let her diabetes control her life. She skied her first double diamond ski run at age 5, (the Wall at Kirkwood Mountain Ski Resort in California) and has been an avid rock climber since she was 3, counting Yosemite's Munjenella as one of her favorite routes, but kayaking remains her favorite sport. She started out at the age of 3 in an old Topo-duo with her Dad in the rear cockpit, and her Mom leading them down numerous class 2 and 3 rapids. When she was 5, she took off in her own boat and was doing well in class 2. When she was 7, she learned to roll her kayak and has been unstoppable ever since. She loves running rivers and side surfing holes as well as competing in rodeos, slalom races and down river races.

In June of 2007, while competing in the FibArk river festival in Salida, Co, Sage was thrilled to be asked to join the Jackson Kayak Regional Team and is now on the Jackson Factory Whitewater Factory Team. 

 

Minute

  • 1:00                        FitAlissa introduces Sage 
  • 1:30 Sage's whitewater kayaking accomplishments
  • 2:00                        Sage was diagnosed with T1D at age 3
  • 2:51                        Sage was kayaking with her parents at age 2 and 3
  • 3:00                        Sage also enjoys rock climbing
  • 4:00                        Sage was born and raised in Nevada.
  • 4:18                        Mom Stephanie discusses Sage's T1D symptoms at age 3
  • 5:00                        Sage’s initial treatment
  • 5:20                        Stephanie discusses Sage’s diet
  • 6:00                        Was there a misdiagnosis of T1D?
  • 6:30                        Sage had a pump a month after diagnosis
  • 6:50                        Sage shows her waterproof pump
  • 7:00                        Finding the right diabetic regimen to compete in sports
  • 7:45                        Sage discusses her CGM
  • 8:00                        Traveling in her van with mom, and pet dogs
  • 8:30 How does she manage her medical  supplies
  • 9:45        Sage started competing when she was 7
  • 10:41     Favorite training places in the world
  • 11:00     Discusses her coaches
  • 12:00     Day in the life of training/types of kayaking
  • 15:45     Managing blood sugars while training/competing
  • 16:30     Cliff Blocks
  • 17:10     Competition sugars dependent on time of day
  • 18:00     How does she do her dietary planning?
  • 19:25     Does she allow herself cheat meal ?
  • 19:51     She discusses being gluten-free
  • 20:30     Which CGM is she on?
  • 21:25     What does she see as the benefits of a CGM?
  • 22:00     Life without a CGM for a month
  • 24:00                     CGM/pump while training/competing
  • 25:00 Talks about SWOOB
  • 26:00                     Talks about her sponsors 
  • 28:00     Talks about fundraising
  • 28:30     Advice for getting into Kayaking for fun
  • 29:30     Talks about her home schooling
  • 31:20                     Talks about her college math class
  • 31:40     2020 Olympics

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Diabetes, Diet, Exercise, FitAlissa, Fitness, Olympics, Sage Donnelly, T1D, Whitewater Kayaking
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