Yorkshire cricketing star Jordan hits diabetes for six

Yorkshire cricketer Jordan Thompson is raising awareness of diabetes after being diagnosed at 16. Catherine Scott reports.

When Jordan Thompson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16 he thought that was the end of his dream of being a professional cricketer. He was wrong.

Jordan, now 21, has recently signed a professional contract with Yorkshire County Cricket Club and is now is eager to raise awareness of the condition and the reality of managing diabetes as an athlete.

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Jordan, from Yeadon, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 2013 – a month before his 17th birthday. As a budding teenage cricket star, Jordan had noticed some of the key symptoms of the condition: weight loss, increased thirst and fatigue, but hadn’t attributed them to diabetes.

“There had been signs at a match I had played for Yorkshire’s 2nd XI against Middlesex. My eyesight was blurry, and I was falling asleep on the sidelines. I’d also lost weight, was nipping to the toilet all the time and my body was telling me I needed to eat quite a bit more,” recalls Jordan.

“Looking back at the pictures you can see how thin I was but it had never occurred to me that I could have diabetes.”

Jordan’s mum works at the local GP surgery and realised that there was something seriously wrong with her son.

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His doctors agreed and referred Jordan straight to hospital for tests where he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the pancreas cannot produce insulin which is needed to carry glucose around the body. If left undiagnosed, Type 1 diabetes can result in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) a life-threatening complication that requires urgent medical attention.

Jordan, who is also studying Sports Coaching at Leeds Beckett University, is supporting the work of leading charity Diabetes UK to help create a world where diabetes can do no harm and to raise awareness of what it’s like to live with the condition.

“When I was diagnosed, I thought that my cricket career was over. It took a while to get used to living with Type 1 diabetes and how I could manage the condition alongside a high level of exercise. I think it’s a fear that a lot of people with Type 1 face. But the doctors said if I managed it properly there was no reason why I couldn’t continue with my dream to become a professional cricketer.”

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Jordan says he does have to be very regimented in making sure that his blood sugar levels remain steady, especially when playing matches.

“I will test my levels in the morning and then again before and after we have warmed up and again just before we go on to the field. If we are fielding then I take some glucose tablets with me. It is a case of being disciplined and making sure that I keep on top of it But I have a lot to lose.”

Jordan chooses to inject himself with insulin rather than have a pump fitted. He explained: “As a sportsman it is difficult to have a pump because it might get damaged. I prefer to inject myself into my stomach

“My team mates have been really supportive. It took them a little while to get used to but once they’d learnt more about the condition and how they could support me they were great.

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“We’re quite tight knit, since I’ve known some of them and played in the same team as them since I was 12. My best mates in and out of cricket have looked out for me.”

Jordan has been playing cricket since he was a tot, following in his dad’s footsteps.

“I would annoy people at training pestering them to bowl to me.”

When he was just six he was playing for Yorkshire schoolboys in the under nines.

When he was nine he was playing in the under-11s.

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“I never wanted to do anything else other than play cricket,” says Jordan. “Which is why it was so hard when I thought my health might stand in my way, but I was wrong.”

Jordan will be playing his first professional match of the season against Lancashire’s 2nd XI team which starts on June 12.

“Many people are unaware of what diabetes actually is and what it’s like to live with, which is why I wanted to put the Diabetes UK stickers on my bat in the hope that it will help instigate conversations,” says Jordan who now has his sights on playing for his country.

“I also hope that my experience will help other young people with Type 1 who may be struggling to manage the condition or are worried about how it will affect their life, their hopes and dreams for the future. I believe that diabetes shouldn’t stop you doing anything.”

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Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. If not managed well, both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating complications. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable sight loss in people of working age in the UK and is a major cause of lower limb amputation, kidney failure and stroke. People with Type 1 cannot produce insulin. About 10 per cent of people with diabetes have Type 1.

www.diabetes.org.uk/type-1-diabetes