Type 1 Olympic Athletes Past and Present

Whether they’ve made it to the trials or podium, their grit, intensity and dedication show others with type 1 diabetes – there truly are no limits to what you can do.

Games of the Olympiad

In the long-standing tradition of striving champions who compete in a battle of wills to take home the gold for their country, the Olympics is the highest achievement one can strive for. The last summer games hosted 339 events with 11,420 competitors from 206 nations. With thousands of athletes competing globally, only a handful have type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Professional athletes require attributes beyond physical fitness and endurance. Their training demands unequivocal mental strength and resilience.

It should come as no surprise many of these type 1 athletes were diagnosed during mid-career, and instead of giving up—they pushed themselves even harder.

Like most chronic conditions, type 1 diabetes requires diligent monitoring: managing blood sugars 24 hours, seven days a week.

T1D Olympians

Here are some past and present T1D Olympian contenders who rose “faster, higher and stronger—together.”

Gary Hall Jr.

Gary Hall Jr. won 10 Olympic medals (five gold medals) over three Olympic Games (1996, 2000 and 2004). Hailed as ‘the world’s fastest swimmer, ’ Hall was known for his patriotic showmanship and for spurring the intense rivalry between the U.S. and Australia during the Sydney Olympic games. The American freestyle champion said the U.S. would “smash [Australia’s four x100m team] like guitars.”

In 1999, Hall Jr. was diagnosed with type 1 at 25 years old. He took a break from swimming to master his diabetes management and then returned strong to the 2000 Olympic Trials, where he set a new American record in the 50m freestyle.

The 'world's fastest swimmer' was the first athlete with type 1 diabetes to compete and medal at the Olympics.

Hall Jr.’s diagnosis led to a post-swimming career in healthcare management, youth sports and patient advocacy. In an interview with the International Olympic Committee, Hall Jr. said, “I became the first athlete to medal with type 1 diabetes. The team I had supporting me really empowered me. The way we managed my diabetes to achieve that success has changed what is now taught in medical school. There was no literature and very, very few resources available about how to manage diabetes in sports. There is much more now, but still not enough.”

Interesting Fact: The American Diabetes Association (ADA) provides a standard of diabetes care for professional athletes with a diabetes diagnosis. The effective plan for an athlete in competitive sports recommends adequate blood sugar monitoring and possible adjustments to diet and insulin therapy to achieve an competitors' personal best.

Charlotte Drury

The U.S. trampoline gymnast Charlotte Drury, became the first American woman to win a gold medal and World Cup title in Trampoline at the Minsk World Cup. Only 18 at the time, she finished at the top of the podium in the individual event and was crowned national champion at the USA Gymnastics Championships.

A member of the U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling National Team from 2011 to 2021, Drury became an alternate at Tokyo’s 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes only weeks before the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Trials, she went on to compete despite feeling poorly. In an Instagram post, Drury admitted knowing something was wrong during her training. After receiving the news that she had T1D, she was most proud of herself for not giving up.

“This felt insurmountable and terrifying, and there was just no way I could figure out how to manage a life-changing diabetes diagnosis and get into Olympic shape in time for the first trial in 3 weeks. If it weren’t for the unwavering support from @dooleylogan and my complete trust in him, I would’ve walked away for sure. But with his, and so many others, help, I started to figure out how to manage it and decided to give everything I had to the sport in the little time I had left. Just three months later, I dropped 9 points off my A1c (not to mention learning what an a1c even was) and became someone who carries a backpack full of juice boxes everywhere I go.”

Drury retired after the 2020 Olympics and went on to graduate from the International Center of Photography in May 2023. Today, Drury and her partner Olympic gold medalist, Laurie Hernandez (also retired), switched careers to promote On Location Olympics hospitality packages.

Interesting Fact: Besides diabetes, many Olympians battle the autoimmune disorder, celiac disease. Runner Amy Yoder Begley coped with undiagnosed celiac disease for 10 years, but that didn't stop her from striving to be part of the US Olympic Team.

Kris Freeman

Five-time Olympic cross-country skier Kris Freeman competed for the first time in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The veteran member of the U.S. Ski Team also represented the United States in Torino 2006, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and the PyeongChang Winter Games.

The New Hampshire native won the inaugural Under-23 World Championship race in Italy and was the first American to qualify for the “Red Group” (top 20 athletes on the World Cup circuit.) Freeman placed fourth at the 2003 and 2009 World Championships.

Freeman was diagnosed with T1D at age 19 while training with the U.S. Ski Team. He was told the rigorous endurance requirements would be too much to compete. Fortunately, he didn’t listen to naysayers and went on to win several titles. Freeman is also touted as “America’s best cross-country skier.”

Today, Freeman works with diabetes advocacy groups around the country and still competes in sporting events, most recently winning Bend, Oregon’s 36^th annual Pole Pedal Paddle, which combines downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, running, kayaking, and 20 miles of biking.

Off the snow, Freeman works with diabetes advocacy groups, sharing his experiences. “I like to travel around to camps for kids with diabetes and encourage them to never set limits for themselves because of their disease,” Freeman told Ski and Snowboard.org.

Interesting Fact: Intensive diabetes research, particularly the use of a continuous glucose monitor (CGMs) device is being used in competitive sports during training and competitions. Beyond diabetes care in conjunction with an insulin pump some Olympic gold medal athletes may wear a continuous glucose monitor to provide real-time feedback on blood sugar levels to enhance performance.

Two Croatian T1D Athletes

Kristina Tomić

Croatian taekwondo athlete Kristina Tomić competed in the recent 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tomić has lived with type 1 diabetes since 2019. The Croatian national team member won the world bronze medal in the women's flyweight category at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships in Korea. She also competed in the women’s featherweight event at the 2022 World Taekwondo Championship.

Tomić, also involved with the Sports & Diabetes project, told Diabetes Voice, “Anyone who knows about diabetes, particularly people living with the condition, knows how challenging it is to keep blood glucose levels in the target range at all times. Before a big competition, the training gets harder and more demanding. Everything has to be kept in balance: diet, weight, blood sugars and effort.”

Ivan Marcelić

Ivan Marcelić, a member of the Croatian men’s water polo team, was diagnosed in 2005 at age 10. Fortunately, Marcelić had a supportive doctor who told him that physical activity was recommended and necessary to manage blood glucose levels. Marcelić said, “Diabetes simply forces you to live healthier, which is what we should all strive for. In other respects, I am no different from my teammates, and the condition has not affected my performance as an athlete.”

Sanford Health helps developing Olympians by supporting mental health issues. Like the American Diabetes Association, the Sandford Health Science Institute contributes leading scientific advancement in athletic health, performance and diabetes research.

Sofie Schunk

At 31 years old, Sofie Schunk became the third-ever T1D to qualify for the Olympic Trials while working a full-time engineering job. The 31-year-old engineer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, had hoped to represent Team USA in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Schunk, an avid soccer, track and field athlete was diagnosed in high school.

Schunk missed qualifying in New York for the McKirdy Micro Marathon by six minutes. Two months later, she ran in the California International Marathon (CIM), where she qualified for the Olympic Trials, running a 2:36:22, her personal best.

Just before the Olympic Trials in Orlando, Schunk had debilitating shin pain and almost didn’t attend the race. She persevered through the pain and finished thanks to the encouragement of an eight-year-old T1D little girl who came out to watch her run with a sign that read, “Sofie, I have type 1 too; you got this!”

Schunk also works with the nonprofit Diabetes Sports Project, which supports T1Ds in sports. Though she didn’t qualify for the Paris 2024 team, Schunk told Runners World, “I can’t wait to get healthy and compete again. For now, I’m embracing the grit mindset: possessing an indomitable spirit and having a drive for achievement regardless of the situation. Earning success in the trenches through hard work. I’ll be back.”