Aug 12, 2024

Sarah's secret to tackling rugby and diabetes

The Minnesota athlete shares her diabetes journey and how she manages her blood sugar on and off the field

Competitive rugby athlete Sarah Vlasak doesn’t just love the sport, she loves the rugby community.

“There’s a need for every single body type on the pitch,” said Vlasak. “There’s so much body positivity. There’s so much focus on what your body can do, which I didn’t get that at all growing up.”

Sarah Vlasak kicking a rugby ball

When she plays rugby, she knows she needs to keep her head in the game. The physically demanding nature of the sport at her competitive level meant she wanted to manage her blood sugar without having an insulin pump affect her game.

In consultation with her endocrinologist, Vlasak switched from an insulin pump to multiple daily injections (MDI) and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), selecting the InPen™ + Guardian™ Connect smart MDI system. The change has helped Vlasak make the choices that allow her to continue playing at a competitive level and training for the sport she loves.

“The active insulin data I get is super helpful before I go and workout. I can take a look and see how much insulin I have left and use that to tell me, ‘Am I going to have to eat something beforehand or during the middle of the workout or am I just going to have to watch and see how things are going?’”

Watch this episode of our series Open Book as Vlasak sits down with her friend Kyle for a candid conversation on her love of rugby, the scare that led to her diagnosis, and her passion for increasing diabetes awareness.

Important Safety Information: Guardian™ Connect CGM System
The Guardian™ Connect system requires a prescription and is indicated for continuous or periodic monitoring of glucose levels in the interstitial fluid under the skin, in patients (14 to 75 years of age) with diabetes mellitus. The system is intended to complement, not replace, information obtained from standard blood glucose monitoring devices, and is not recommended for people who are unwilling or unable to perform a minimum of two meter blood glucose tests per day, or for people who are unable or unwilling to maintain contact with their healthcare professional. The system requires a functioning mobile electronic device with correct settings. If the mobile device is not set up or used correctly, you may not receive sensor glucose information or alerts. For complete details of the system and its components, including warnings, contraindications, and precautions, please consult the user guides and important safety information.

Important Safety Information: InPen™
The InPen™ is a home- use reusable pen injector for single- patient use by people with diabetes under the supervision of an adult caregiver, or by a patient age 7 and older for the self- injection of a desired dose of insulin and for calculating an insulin dose or carbohydrate intake based on user entered data. A healthcare professional must assist in dosage programming of the device prior to use, based on various patient- specific criteria and targets. The InPen™ requires a prescription. For additional product and safety information, please consult the Instructions for Use and https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/important-safety-information

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