George Ranch junior Kylie Stubbs
GEORGE RANCH JUNIOR KYLIE STUBBS HAS WRESTLED WITH ADVERSITY MOST OF HER LIFE.
Stubbs is a Type 1 diabetic. So, wrestling on a mat pales in comparison.
“I was really little when I found out I was diabetic,” Stubbs said. “I would be really, really thirsty. I’d wet the bed a lot. At first, (my parents) were like, ‘OK, we’ll just stop giving her water.’ So, my mom wouldn’t give me water after 5 p.m. But I’d go to bed, and I was still peeing. Then I was acting weird for a while, and they took me to the doctor.
“They tested my blood sugar, it was really high, and they diagnosed me.”
Stubbs got on a diabetic Omnipod when she was five years old. It delivers insulin through a tubeless, waterproof pump around the arm. When she was in second grade, she started using Dexcom, which monitors glucose every five minutes for diabetics. It is accessible with Apple or Android devices, so Stubbs uses an Apple watch to track her blood sugar.
During the wrestling season, Stubbs wears the Omnipod during practices. For meets, she’ll either wrap up the Omnipod with tape or take it off completely.
“I’m definitely used to it,” she said “When I was younger, it’d be painful and bother me. But now that I’m older and bigger, it doesn’t bother me at all.”
The Omnipod presents an interesting subject of conversation. Stubbs has heard it all. Most people think it’s an ice pack of some sort. Another person thought she was being controlled by a remote and part of a study.
“I wish I was being controlled by a robot!” Stubbs said. “That’d be cool.”
Stubbs follows professional athletes who are diabetic on Instagram. She has attended camps where diabetic athletes have spoken.
Stubbs, who has wrestled all three years of high school and played competitive volleyball for six years, gets her inspiration from them, but it’s not lost on her that she is also a source of inspiration.
“I think there’s a misconception that you can’t do sports with (diabetes), but in reality, it doesn’t stop you from doing anything, as long as you check your blood sugar regularly," Stubbs said. “When I was younger, I didn’t necessarily try to hide it, but I didn’t love broadcasting it. You just have to put in work to make it work.”
