When Trevor Nelson first picked up a tennis racket at age six in his local park, he couldn’t have imagined where the sport would take him. What started as a casual activity with his brother evolved into a lifelong passion that now fuels his collegiate journey at Hope College—and led to one of his proudest achievements: winning a Western Big 6 Conference Title with his high school team.
But Trevor’s athletic path has had an added challenge: managing type 1 diabetes. And for a young college tennis athlete with big dreams, it wasn’t always easy to see a way forward.
“At first, diabetes was a huge burden, especially when it came to my athletic performance,” Trevor shares. “It seemed like I would never be good enough because of my condition.”
The Turning Point: Understanding His Body
Like many athletes navigating a chronic condition, Trevor faced steep learning curves—not just in competition, but in everyday management. One of the biggest hurdles? Making sense of the technology designed to help him.
“The T-slim pump has so many features for insulin therapy, and I found using them correctly to be one of the most difficult parts of managing diabetes,” he explains.
But everything started to shift when Trevor began working with Cecelia Health, receiving tailored support from Kirsten Ward, a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES).
Little Changes, Big Wins
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Through personalized coaching, Trevor gained practical tools and a deeper understanding of how to manage his condition on and off the court. From tips to staying level-headed during high-stress moments like final exams to guidance on optimizing insulin settings for athletic performance, Trevor discovered how powerful clinical support could be.
“It’s through little tips and tricks that I learned from [my clinician] that I could be better prepared for my day-to-day activities and be healthier along the way.” |
One of the most game-changing lessons? Learning, with guidance from Kirsten, to leverage the sleep and exercise modes on his pump more effectively.
“After I implemented those features, I stopped going so low during exercise and felt less tired and more active at the start of my day.”
The Power of Lifestyle-First Clinical Care
Trevor’s story is a testament to how lifestyle-first clinical care can empower athletes to not just manage their diabetes—but thrive with it. Through ongoing support, he’s become more confident, more in control, and more resilient.
“I would definitely recommend [clinical diabetes support] to others, especially athletes,” he says. “It has been a game changer to have stable levels during training and better control overall.”
As he continues his journey—on the court and in life—Trevor isn’t just mastering tennis. He’s mastering his health.
Cecelia Health is a proud sponsor of the Novo Nordisk Donnelly Scholarship, awarded to student athletes who are competing in college tennis while living with Type 1 Diabetes.
Photo courtesy of Trevor Nelson.