When Sarah Klau and Verity Simmons were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, they weren’t handed a playbook. No manual. No step-by-step.
Just needles, uncertainty—and the choice to keep chasing their dreams, or not.
In this powerful and heartwarming episode, two of Australia’s elite athletes sit down with Drew to unpack what it really takes to thrive with type 1 at the highest level of professional sport.
Here’s what we’re covering:
-How Verity went from diagnosis at 17 to representing Australia in netball and AFLW
-The three-year misdiagnosis that delayed Sarah’s journey—and nearly derailed her career
-Why both athletes refused to let type 1 define their destiny
-Game-day strategies: how they fuel, train, and play with diabetes
-The brutal challenges (and surprising benefits) of managing type 1 on MDI
-The secret PowerPoint Verity made to educate her entire team
-Their letters to diabetes
-And the twist in Sarah’s letter that turned it into a love story
… and loads more insights, inspiration and laughs
Chapters:
⏳ [00:00] Diagnoses, DMs & A Two-for-One Deal
⏳ [04:30] Verity’s “Figure It Out” Approach to Type 1
⏳ [12:05] Sarah’s Three-Year Pre-Diabetes Limbo
⏳ [17:15] World Cup Dreams
⏳ [23:07] Netball, AFLW and the Unexpected Code Switch
⏳ [26:06] PowerPoints, Hypo Kits and Jelly Bean Survival
⏳ [29:08] Debunking Diabetes Myths and Misconceptions
⏳ [39:45] Game Day vs Training Day: Managing the Madness
⏳ [46:35] Ninja Warrior, Highs, Lows and Sneaky Jelly Beans
⏳ [54:07] Diet Experiments, Keto, and BGL Spikes
⏳ [59:00] Off-Season Strategies and Back-to-Back Burnout
⏳ [66:35] Supplements, Smoothies and Hypo Fixes
⏳ [70:45] Mindfulness, Journals and Sleep Data Deep Dives
⏳ [74:50] Periods, Hydration and the Hidden Hormonal Rollercoaster
⏳ [77:00] Sarah’s Emotional Letter to Diabetes—and the Match it Made
Hope you enjoy!
You can find Sarah and Verity on Instagram:
Sarah Klau: @sarahklau
Verity Simmons: @verity.simmons
To learn more about Medtronic https://www.medtronic-diabetes.com.au/
Explore the MiniMed™ 780 https://www.medtronic-diabetes.com.au/products/minimed-780g-guardian-4-sensor
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