Here from our T1D Ambassador for Golf & Tennis Classic, Sam DiGaetano!

Type 1 Diabetes and Golf have been such an interesting tandem in my life thus far; after finding golf shortly after stopping my District Baseball career, I was instantly hooked. Being diagnosed with type one at age 12 actually helped me discover golf in an indirect fashion. Ironically enough, this acted as a blessing in disguise for my exposure to golf.

Shortly after being diagnosed, I took golf seriously and ended up playing in high school. While learning to manage Type 1 Diabetes as a teen/young adult, I was making my way in golf – winning 3 state championships in high school with my team. After high school was over, with T1D now incredibly well managed, I accepted an offer to play Division 1 Golf at Rider University.

Being a D1, T1D, I was part of a unique group of Division 1 Athletes whom had T1D. Throughout my life, I’ve leveraged T1D as a backbone and part of who I am. I’ve learned through both golf and T1D that you can’t use anyone – or anything – as an excuse. Though things may go wrong and you may have an off day, it takes personal credibility and attention to understand that you’re the one who controls your score (blood sugar) and that a team around you can’t “hit the drive” for you.

Thanks to Golf and T1D, I’ve become the successful, driven, and happy person I am today. Thanks to fitness, I’ve found a way to combine golf and strength and healthy blood sugars. Thanks to T1D and Golf for teaching me to put in the work to better myself and stay on top of what matters most… I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me in my career personally, and in the lives of T1D advocates and anyone effected.

Thanks for playing with us and we can’t wait to find the cure!

For more information about the Breakthrough T1D Golf & Tennis Classic click here.