In this episode of T1D Stories, Adrian Gonzalez speaks with Michael Underwood, a professional hockey player with the Maine Mariners, about being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 25 while recovering from shoulder surgery. Michael shares the fear and uncertainty he felt when he first learned the news, especially around whether he would be able to continue playing hockey. He also discusses how he manages diet, exercise, diabetes technology, and the emotional ups and downs of life with T1D — and why he wants young athletes to know that diabetes does not have to stop them from pursuing their dreams.
A Meaningful Moment from the Episode
For Michael, one of the hardest parts of diagnosis was wondering whether type 1 diabetes would take hockey away from him. Now, as a professional athlete living with T1D, he wants young athletes to hear a different message:
“I don’t ever want a kid to stop playing a sport that they love because they think it’s too overwhelming, or they think there’s too much work to be done, or ultimately they can’t achieve what they want to achieve because of a faulty pancreas. It’s just a bump in the road. It’s not anything that’s going to prevent you from getting to where you want to get to.”
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