Cory Conacher, a junior winger with Canisius, is a Hobey Baker Award candidate, which is given each year to the top NCAA’s top men’s ice hockey player. He is also a Type 1 diabetic, according to a recent article from USCHO.com.
At 5 foot, eight inches and 175 pound, Conacher averaged 1.53 points per game during the 2009-10 regular season, second in NCAA Division 1 hockey. The Ontario native was first diagnosed at 8 years old.
People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, the hormone needed to regulate sugar in the blood, and therefore must inject insulin into their body several times a day or receive a steady insulin drip via an externally worn insulin pump.
Canacher is the latest in a number of Type 1 diabetics that are not letting the disease deter them from playing at elite levels of their sport. Kris Freeman recently competed in cross country skiing events at the Olympics in Vancouver. (You can check out an interesting interview with Kris about his struggled at the Olympics on the blog Diabetes Mine here.)
Austin Freeman, a star collegiate basketball player with the Georgetown Hoyas was recently diagnosed with diabetes (See Diabetes News Hound, March 8, 2010 : “Georgetown Basketball Star Returns to Lineup After Diabetes Diagnosis“) Other famous athletes with the disease include Jay Cutler, quarterback of the Chicago Bears, Adam Morrison of the NBA’s Lakers, and Brandon Morrow, a pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays.
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