Cheney athlete sees diabetes as only a hurdle

Eight years ago, Kristine Williams was told that her daughter Abigail had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

“First of all, we didn’t have any history in our family, on either side,” she said. “I didn’t understand what was happening.

“I later learned that happens to a lot of families. It was kind of shock and disbelief, my initial reaction.”

“I didn’t really understand at first what was going on when I first found out,” said Abigail, who was in fourth grade at the time. “I do remember my mom was crying and everyone being really sad.

“I just said something like I’m still going to be able to go to school, right? I’m still going to be able to be a normal kid, and they said, ‘Yeah, yeah,’ so I said there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that.

“So I just took it in and said I was going to have to deal with it. I didn’t see any reason in getting sad about it because I was still going to be a normal kid.”

Abigail has used that attitude to enable her to enjoy a three-year varsity basketball career at Cheney High School. The senior guard and wing is not only co-captain of the team, she also was a the co-captain of the Blackhawk soccer squad that advanced to the regional tournament this past fall.

The honor student also plays for the Spokane Sandpipers AAU team.

“Even when I first got diabetes, I had a really great doctor, and he told me there was nothing I couldn’t do, especially sports,” said Abigail. “Sports were something that was going to keep my blood sugars better, and it was going to keep me healthy.

“He just told me diabetes wasn’t an excuse to not go do it (sports).”

While juggling her busy schedule, Abigail carefully monitors her diabetes.

“I usually test five or six times on an average day, like when I have practice,” said Abigail, who has an insulin pump to monitor her blood sugar level. “On game days, I test a lot more because I want to be in a good range when I’m playing because it makes a big difference in how you play.”

“I worked with her this summer, and probably in the back of my mind I was watching her a little bit,” said Cheney first-year head coach Hal Sautter. “I learned real quickly she’s a remarkable young lady.

“She does a very good job of monitoring what’s going on. I really don’t pay very close attention to her at all anymore.

“She’s just another player out there because she really does a very good job of taking care of herself.”

The success of Gonzaga All-American Adam Morrison has brought national attention to diabetic athletes. Morrison’s doctor, Dr. Ken Cathcart, is also Abigail’s physician.

“He (Dr. Cathcart) thinks sports are a great way to control everything in your life,” said Abigail. “It helps you manage your time and manage your diabetes.

“If you stick with sports and have an active lifestyle, you’re going to be healthy no matter what. He made that message very clear to me.”

Abigail’s independence has enabled her to not just deal with diabetes, but succeed. She hopes that her success on the courts and playing fields will help younger kids deal with their condition.

“I just try to tell them that diabetes is just a hurdle, but you can overcome it,” Abigail said. “You can’t let it stop you from doing anything you want.

“You can do anything you want to do. If you learn to deal with it, then you’ll that much more experience in your life to being able to overcome obstacles.”

“Because I know I can deal with diabetes every day, I know I can play soccer every day,” she continued. “I know I can get my math homework done every day.

“I know if I can do one thing, I can do another.”