Diabetes hero
April Welsh made Australian history as the first female Formula Vee driver with type 1 and she continues to contribute to the world of diabetes
Born into a motorsport family, April Welsh was destined to have a need for speed. “I used to go along with Dad to the track and grew up in the pits,” explains April. “I was often found with a can of Mr Sheen in hand cleaning Dad’s car after every race. I guess it’s no surprise I was the next generation to sit behind the wheel.”
Despite being diagnosed with type 1 at three – after her mum, an emergency nurse, recognised the symptoms and diagnosed her at home before taking her to hospital for her official diagnosis – nothing was going to stop April.
“I sourced a fantastic private organisation in WA – Perth Diabetes Care – which has supported me throughout the journey by offering all the diabetes services [excluding an endocrinologist] I need under one roof,” says April, 26, who has been fortunate to have formed a relationship with her team (an endocrinologist, diabetes educator, dietitian and counsellor). “When I’ve been interstate and challenged by the time zone, higher levels of anxiety about the race or I’m seeking help about how to best approach the night’s sleep ahead with basal rates and blood glucose levels, my educator has been on the phone offering advice.” April’s immediate family has taken on the complexity of diabetes and is her support team for both diabetes and motorsports.
Pumped up
As the youngest person in WA to begin insulin pump therapy, at the age of six, it was only a matter of time before April would turn to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). “Managing my diabetes on race day really is all about preparation and trying to minimise the effect adrenaline has on my levels throughout the event,” she continues. “For the first few years, I competed on many occasions with BGLs much higher than ideal or where I know I would prefer my levels to be. This would cause me to feel nauseous, lethargic and often not as enthusiastic. The sooner I was able to manage the adrenaline spike, the better for my health and my performance.”
Today, she uses the Medtronic 670G alongside her CGM on Auto-Mode. Even with the help of her team, it has taken April about three years to find the routine that works best and that she is confident in following for any event. “However, some days it doesn’t matter how hard I try, diabetes can still prove to be difficult to predict and control, especially with the high levels of adrenaline throughout race day,” she says.
Advocate for all
For the past six years, Novo Nordisk has been April’s primary sponsor for Formula Vee – or Formula Volkswagen, which is an affordable competitive motorsport where individuals drive in an open-wheel, single-seat race car.
“It was important for me to
partner with a sponsor who resonated with my values and who would also encourage my participation in motorsport as an opportunity to engage with the community about diabetes,” she explains. “Words can’t explain how rewarding it is to be approached by children and their families who live with type 1 at the race track, show me their pumps or want to ask me how I manage my glucose levels while behind the wheel. But even more rewarding has been the opportunity Novo Nordisk has given me to communicate with many health professionals about my experience, lessons learnt and opportunities that my journey while racing has created.”
April has long been a passionate advocate for diabetes research, education and awareness. Over the years, she has been involved as a keynote speaker at JDRF’s Kids in the House in Canberra, chosen as the Australian delegate to attend the Children’s Congress in Washington DC, and today sits on the JDRF State Leadership Group for Western Australia.
But it doesn’t stop there. April has also been involved in a number of different research studies. “I like to live my life by the motto: I control my diabetes, so diabetes doesn’t control me. I guess this is why I have been drawn to research studies, such as AdDIT [a trial used to understand the complications of diabetes in young people diagnosed during their childhood or adolescent years; for more, visit www.addit-trial.org], as I can assist with something that could help with preventing long-term complications.
However, it is through motorsport that April understood the importance of maintaining good management and making her diabetes a priority. If she wants to race, she is required to have a full medical assessment from her endocrinologist each year. Racing also taught April, “that there is nothing that you can’t achieve in life. While having diabetes is a constant struggle that means we sometimes have to do things differently, it shouldn’t and doesn’t prevent us!” ■
It takes a team of people to compete in motorsport and a team of people to manage diabetes. I’m so thankful for the people in my life who assist me with both!