Diabetes is no match for Welsh rugby international Amy Evans
A WOMEN’S rugby international overcame a diabetes diagnosis aged 11 years old to clinch her place in the Wales team.
Prop forward Amy Evans has said how she was determined her condition would not hamper her desire to represent her country after being diagnosed Type 1 diabetic at such a young age.
Most recently, Amy made five starts for Wales in the women’s Six Nations, which took place earlier this year.
Despite a disappointing championship, Amy, 26, who is from Aberdare, was selected by the women’s rugby website Scrumqueens in their Team of the Tournament.
Amy had always been active at school but said her “hypos” – hypoglycaemia caused by too much insulin and not enough sugar in the blood – could disrupt her efforts at sport.
When she was 19, she joined a gym in Aberdare set up by weight lifter Michaela Breeze, and was soon lifting for Wales at venues across Europe.
But the combination of stress of competitions and adrenaline caused problems with her sugar levels.
Amy, who now plays for Swansea and the Ospreys, then switched to rugby after attending a WRU talent day and never looked back, turning out for Wales just five months later.
“My strength from weight lifting gave me an advantage when I started playing rugby,” said Amy, who works as a personal trainer, fitness instructor and studio class instructor.
But she still encountered problems making training sessions because of her hypos.
She had been using an insulin pen to inject her medications. But then she switched last year to an insulin pump and a device called a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
The pump, which is attached to her body, is able to deliver medication 24/7 and is better able to control her blood sugar levels.
“It just controls everything throughout the day. I feel a lot more normal since I have been in the pump and CGM and I have not had a proper hypo which had been a frequent event. I had five starts in the Six Nations and it shows a massive difference.”
She added: “When I was a kid going to diabetic clinics, all I saw was older people and overweight people and I wondered was I going to be like that when I was older.
“But I have shown that being diabetic doesn’t have to limit what you are going to do in life and with medicine and technology improving all the time it is going to get easier.”
Amy funds her own insulin pump at £500 every two months. She unplugs it during matches but leaves the CGM attached, which costs her £70 if she breaks it.
Now she is looking forward to the World Cup in August, for which Wales have been drawn in the same pool as New Zealand, Canada and Hong Kong.
Amy told her story to mark Diabetes Awareness Week, which is taking place between June 11-17.
There are now more than 18,700 people living with diabetes in the Cwm Taf University Health Board area, a number expected to rise to 25,000 by 2030.
Diabetes accounts for 10% of total NHS health expenditure, and consultant in diabetes, Philip Evans, said: “Early detection and intervention is key. Cwm Taf projects such as the cardiovascular screening programme will assist with the early diagnosis of those at risk of diabetes or with unknown but established diabetes.
“The combination of empowered educated individuals and high quality services is the key to long term health and there should be no limit on an individual’s aspirations for a long healthy and fulfilled life.”