Anissa Gamble is a Canadian scientist and professional ice hockey player, currently playing with the PWHPA. She is among the few people to have played professional hockey while living with Type 1 diabetes.
She played on youth boys’ teams in the Maritimes until the age of 15, when she left home to attend Appleby College.
She participated in the first PWHPA Unifor Showcase event in Toronto in September 2019 as a member of Team Knox. In the Secret Showcase in January 2020, she played for Team Spooner. She was one of the players chosen to take part in a Dream Gap Tour Showcase against the Japanese national team in Tokyo in March 2020, before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her first ever interview on Women Fitness with President, Ms. Namita Nayyar, Anissa answers question related to her sprost, diet, lifestyle and tips on managing Type 1 Diabetes.
You were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 8. The physical symptoms you experienced that led to the diagnosis.
Anissa Gamble:
I experienced common signs of a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. I was constantly thirsty and hungry but was rapidly losing weight. I was urinating every few hours and experienced bed wetting. I was always tired, even falling asleep during class and recess, and was in a constant state of feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Luckily, my parents recognized my diabetes symptoms as my grandmother lived with type 1 diabetes throughout her life, and I quickly brought to my physician to get tested.
Also referred to as Juvenile diabetes. How did you go about coping with diabetes, school routine, and sports? Challenges faced at school and the response of mates?
Anissa Gamble:
Juvenile diabetes means living or being diagnosed with diabetes as a child. Today, a large portion of people who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are actually over the age of 30, so term juvenile diabetes is losing popularity.
Balancing type 1 diabetes with life, which for me evolves around school and hockey is really challenging. It’s macro and micro compensations that necessitates me to make on average 160 more decisions per day than someone not living with type 1 diabetes. Key aspects that help me is consistency, routines, preparation, and positive thinking.
You are a scientist and professional ice hockey player, currently playing with the PWHPA, this clearly indicates your determination to overcome your personal health issues to shine out against all odds. Please share lifestyle modifications you incorporated into your routine to lead a normal life?
Anissa Gamble:
That’s very kind of you to say. To my knowledge I’m the first women living with type 1 diabetes in North America to play “professional” hockey, and this floors me because I don’t foresee myself as a tremendous hockey player. I’ve been extremely fortunate to play with incredible athletes, people, and friends like Natalie Spooner, Sarah Nurse, Carolyne Prevost, Jillian Saulnier ( I could keep going on for days with incredible female hockey players), but they’re a big reason to who and where I am today. Their perseverance, hard work, and attitude is contagious and it’s been pivotal for my career and overall health.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
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Share the support you received from your family, doctors, and friends to stand out.
Anissa Gamble:
I’m thankful for my family, friends, and diabetes team for supporting me no matter what I do in life.
You are currently working as a research analyst focusing on diabetes eHealth management. What according to you still remains to be done in this field. How do you go about contributing to your sports routine?
Anissa Gamble:
I recently finished working at UHN eHealth and transitioned to my new role as a first year dental student at Western Schulich school of medicine and dentistry. I think there’s a lot of gaps and burden in the diabetes field from a cure, affordability of necessities like insulin and glucose devices- especially continuous glucose monitors, access to adequate medical care, providers/research/patient/policy maker communication, and mental health support. My focus used to be on the “cure” and “access” via islet cell transplantation and telemedicine evaluations, but I’ve pursued dentistry because I want to explore the role of oral health and diabetes prevalence. I want to challenge the standard of care to better support diabetes health and prediction through the means of eHealth.
Regarding hockey, this year is the first year I’m not playing hockey. There’s several reasons, one being the pandemic as a person living with diabetes I can’t risk going on the ice with a group at this moment, and two I’m a full time student in a different city this year. These factors significantly changed my fitness routine as I’m adjusting to not being able to train for hockey.
Please share your daily diet pattern? Foods you keep on top of the list, and foods you avoid?
Anissa Gamble:
A frustrating aspect of living with diabetes is the fact not one diet or food regimen will work for everybody. For my body, which I also live with Celiac disease, which is a gluten free diet, I find low carbohydrate and high fiber meals works best for my glycemic management. Foods that I enjoy and help regulate my glucose levels is high protein and fiber foods like meat, nuts, cheese, fresh fruits and my guilty pleasure is popcorn. I try to avoid high glycemic foods because it does have on my glucose levels like candy and dried fruits. Please note as a person living with type 1 diabetes, you can actually eat anything and everything you just have to take adequate insulin for it.
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All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness
You start your day with …. first thing in the morning?
Anissa Gamble:
I start my day with some sort of physical activity. Whether it’s walking the dog, yoga, a workout, anything to get moving to help my insulin sensitivity and compensate for the dawn phenom. I’ll then treat myself to some coffee and get my day going !
Please share your fitness routine? Cardio & strength training?
Anissa Gamble:
I still try to stick to my university routines where Monday is cardio and legs, Tuesday is arms and HITTT, Wednesday whole body workouts, Thursday Cardio flow day, and Friday yoga or a whole body workout. Weekends are typically fun activities like hiking, hockey, tennis, or a golf driving range.
According to you how often should a diabetic individual keep a track of their sugar level? The first sign you are able to pick on that something is not right?
Anissa Gamble:
Keeping track of glucose levels is important because it demonstrates patterns of your body. The biggest game changer for me, and it’s demonstrated in literature, is the utilization of continuous glucose monitors- I use a Dexcom G6. It’ll take a reading of one’s glucose level every 5 minutes that you can see on your smartphone or watch (certain kinds). This significantly helps me monitor my levels alongside recognizing my body’s signs and symptoms of high or low glucose events. For high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemic events) I feel frustrated, nauseated, tired- kind of like a bad hangover, and for low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemic events) I feel weak, shaky, confused, sweaty- kind of like being intoxicated.
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Five tips for school kids to cope with diabetes and take part in sports activities? Your message for them.
Anissa Gamble:
Keep moving and don’t be ashamed of your diabetes. Having to sit out for a low snack, or having a medical device attached to you doesn’t mean your different, but a stronger person. Be proud of who you are and you can do anything you set your mind to!
Throw some light on the organization you are working with to help those with diabetes? Share an experience at a Diabetes hockey camp?
Anissa Gamble:
I really enjoy working with diabetes organizations for several reasons. I like working with Diabetes Canada for their child diabetes camps, JDRF and DRIFCanfor their research efforts, Connected in Motion for their amazing adventures and slipstreams, DSkate for their diabetes hockey camps, Friends for Life for their children events, and Beyond Type 1 for their information. These are just a few organizations, there’s a lot of other great one’s out there really helping the community!
The games in Japan — rescheduled for March 4, 5, and 7 — were canceled on Feb. 24. This came as a relief for you especially as you understood the personal health risks. How have you gone about taking care of yourself during this pandemic?
Anissa Gamble:
I was quite sad- I really wanted to finish the year by competing with some of the best athletes across the globe and was excited to explore Japan. However, I was questioning whether or not I should go as I am person with several autoimmune disorders (type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and psoriasis) I was hesitant. Luckily, our league put our health first and cancelled the trip.
Taking care of oneself during the pandemic is challenging, especially how it’s getting colder that restricts outdoor activities. I think one way keeping sane is staying active in any way possible, making routines, and practicing self-reflection.
Learn more about Anissa Gmble:
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness