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Meet Scarlett Hughes. A Type 1 Diabetic and a Wicket Keeper Batter. For those who haven’t heard of her, REMEMBER the name! Currently representing Essex Womens and the Sunrisers Squads, read about her journey balancing Cricket and T1D.
What Age were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed on 14/12/12 at the age of 10, in my final year at primary school
What Type?
T1D and Hypo-unaware
Libre/Dexcom?
I currently use a Dexcom but have previously used a Freestyle Libre. I switched to a Dexcom to get hypo alerts
Pump?
I have recently started on the Tandem tslimx2 pump with the Control IQ feature. Before this I used the Omnipod for 5 years
How did you manage it in the early days?
When I was first diagnosed, I was using finger pricks to measure my blood sugar and injecting long and short acting insulin. I used Lantus for my long acting once a day and Novorapid for short acting whenever I ate or needed a correction. This usually stacked up to be about 6 injections a day and a lot of BG (blood glucose) tests. At the beginning my mum did all of my carb counting so I knew exactly how much insulin I needed. This gave me the freedom to inject myself without the worry of getting the dosage wrong. I also had the benefit of a school nurse at my primary who oversaw my management. I started learning to carb count and soon found my feet and could inject and carb count independently.
“I try not to let diabetes dictate what I can and can’t eat…”
How do you deal with diabetes and normal eating?
In normal day to day life, I eat freely and try not to let diabetes dictate what I can and can’t eat. If I take the correct amount of insulin and pre-bolus, I am usually fine. The timing of when I’m eating is really important too. My insulin sensitivity changes throughout the day so if I want something high in sugar, I try to wait for these periods to avoid a big spike. Accurate carb counting is also very important.
Do you have any set regimes when it comes to exercise/Fitness training?
When I am training, my routine changes drastically. I have reduced bolus for all food before and after training as my insulin requirement decreases hugely. Overnight after training I also require significantly less insulin. I eat something relatively high carb before I begin training and correct any hypos with energy gels. Being hypo-unaware, I rely on technology to get alerts when my BG is dropping or getting too high. I think the most important thing is telling your teammates and coaches how they can help such as keeping glucose on the side of the pitch and looking for my signals to run it on.
What preparation do you do leading up to a match/during the match/ after a match?
In preparation for a match, I make sure I’ve had a proper meal before arriving with less insulin than I usually would. I also activate an ‘activity mode’ on my pump which means my target BG range is slightly higher than usual (I think I it aims to keep me around 7mmol). The warm up for me is really important. It allows me to ‘test the water’ with my BG levels. If they are dropping from the warm up, I have glucose and also try and eat something more significant. If they remain stable, I can go into a match confidently. During a match I rely on alerts from my Dexcom to tell me if my levels are out of range. If they are, I try and get glucose gels in quickly to prevent the hypo. I also have snacks such as bananas and energy bars during drinks breaks. After a match, I make sure I cool down properly and refuel straight away as well as after the game - just like everyone else. I keep a closer eye on my BG leading up to night time as I tend to have hypos overnight.
Any unusual habits you have, diabetes related, while playing cricket?
One unusual habit I have is that I eat the same breakfast and lunch on every game day. Once I had found the nutrition that worked best for me, I stuck to it.
“I think seeing people living my dream would have been really inspiring at such a young age and show me that diabetes doesn’t have to be a barrier to success in sport.”
What do you wish you knew before that could have helped you today?
I was very fortunate that the doctor who treated me in hospital when I was first diagnosed was a GB Paralympian who gave me early encouragement to continue with sport. I wish I had known of some role models who were diabetic and athletes. I was diagnosed at the age of 10 and probably didn’t know anyone with diabetes in sport until about the age of 15. I spent a long time thinking it was impossible to combine the two. I then went out searching for my own information and found some great role models on Instagram and Twitter, taking inspiration from ‘Insuleoin’, Chris Bright, Henry Slade and Tim Atkins. I think seeing people living my dream would have been really inspiring at such a young age and show me that diabetes doesn’t have to be a barrier to success in sport.
“I spent the whole day wicket keeping worrying about bananas coming back up every time I caught the ball!”
Have you had any memorable experiences to do with your diabetes within cricket? Good to bad? Have others treated you differently?
One memorable experience with diabetes was during my first season playing for Essex Women’s XI. We were playing an away match at New Road which I was so excited about as I had seen the ground on TV and now got to play on it! My mum and dad drove down to the ground on the day of the match to watch me (secretly think they were checking I was going to be ok). I have never had so many hypos during one game. I couldn’t even get through the warm up. Maybe it was down to the hotel breakfast being different from my usual or maybe it was the pure excitement/ nerves. My dad was leaning over the stands onto the pitch forcing me to eat 3 bananas in a row! That was a pretty memorable experience because although it did sort out my BG, I spent the whole day wicket keeping worrying about bananas coming back up every time I caught the ball! I think once you educate teammates on what T1D is and what it means in terms of you playing sport, they don’t treat you that differently. I think my teammates look out for me more during training and games to check that I’m ok. They sometimes come to me with questions about diabetes but I’m always happy to answer them!
What do you use at your hypo treatment?
For hypo treatment I use Lucozade elite energy gels. There’s no ‘perfect treatment’ so it’s about trial and error until you find what works for you. I used to use Glucojuice and glucose tablets but through getting things wrong I’ve worked out what’s best for me
“…my number 1 priority needed to by my diabetes management…”
How do you manage your diabetes now as a professional cricketer?
As it was my first time walking into a professional cricket environment, it was unfamiliar and out of my comfort zone. I think the most important thing for me was working out that my number 1 priority needed to by my diabetes management and not letting all the excitement change this. I know that If my blood is high or low, my performance will be worse. So, I got into the mindset that my BG had to come before training. You have to be really clear that diabetes is your top priority and to not get swept away in the training atmosphere and end up training or playing when your BG is out of range. I had to be very brave to tell people what I need but once that is in place it creates an environment you can thrive in. We have a team physio who I explained my management strategies to which meant that everyone was on the same page. I also knew I was in safe hands in case something did go wrong as my coaches were all eager to know how they could help.
“…be proud of the process and how impressive it is as a T1D to even get onto cricket pitch.”
What piece of advice would you give a rookie diabetic playing cricket?
My advice for any diabetic playing cricket is to be proud of the process and how impressive it is as a T1D to even get onto cricket pitch. People on the outside don’t see the majority of what goes on so just remember that you are doing a great job. You are going to get it wrong a lot and that’s ok! It’s all about learning what works for you and what doesn’t. Getting your BG to a level that you feel comfortable with when playing sport is the most important thing. I know it’s tempting to look at your BG out of range, get frustrated and play anyways but it won’t help your performance in cricket or your health. It’s really important to be open about your diabetes so your team and staff members can help you.
What is your ‘Kryptonite’ that affects your diabetes?
My diabetes kryptonite is energy gels. They are a speedy hypo treatment and always work for me.
