Mandy is a professional cyclist, member of the USA Cycling National Team and Team Novo Nordisk. She's vying for a spot on the 2021 Olympic Team to compete in Tokyo. We learn about Mandy's T1 diagnosis as a teenager, rigorous training schedule, and preparation to compete at the highest level. Inspiring stuff!
Mandy is a professional track cyclist who’s competing to represent the United States at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Mandy and her father moved to Florida from Germany when she was 6-years old, and Mandy was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes when she was 14. She then moved back to Germany to join her father so she could learn and experience more German culture.
Mandy has always been involved with sports, and her parents encouraged her to try out different sports such as tennis, soccer, and triathlon. She especially fell in love with triathlon when she was 10 years old, winning gold medals at a competition.
When Mandy was diagnosed, she had family and people she knew who told her she could no longer compete at the highest level of her sports. This felt horrible for Mandy, but her parents encouraged her to persevere and she was able to get back on her bike and begin competing again.
Before her diagnosis, Mandy didn’t have any classic signs of Type-1 diabetes symptoms. Maybe she did, she admitted, but because she was an athlete, she might not have noticed.
Mandy has always wanted to be a sportswoman. Her parents were very supportive of her when she was diagnosed, especially her father, who was there during the two weeks she was admitted in the hospital. Her mother was in Florida at the time.
At first, Mandy was nonchalant about managing the diabetes properly, denying its existence. But after she failed her team at a competition, performing below her typical standards, and costing her team a win, she decided to take her diet and medications more serious. And when she did, she did better the next year at the same competition and won bronze that year.
Early on, after the diagnosis, Mandy didn’t know anyone who had Type-1 diabetes. She felt alone, but she soon joined team Novo Nordisk, and there she has found a community that she trusts and can depend on.
Mandy credits her discipline as an athlete to helping her along her journey as a Type-1 diabetic. She is grateful to how much technology has helped her in managing her diabetes.