A Balancing Act

It's a well-known fact that being a student-athlete takes a lot of determination, planning and time management. Not only do student-athletes have to worry about succeeding in school, but they must also devote much of their time to practice and competition. Lehigh women's basketball senior Alexandra Yantzi and sophomore Kerry Kinek both have one more thing to balance, however. The two Mountain Hawks are both Type 1 diabetic.

According to the American Diabetes Association, Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults and occurs when the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy that is necessary for daily life. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, it's very possible for diabetics to live a long, healthy life as long as they can learn to manage their condition.

"Neither of us could play basketball if we didn't control our diabetes," said Yantzi. "No one can control it for us. In order to play basketball, study and get good grades, our blood sugars have to be around normal range. Thankfully, technology can help us manage diabetes, but we still need to pay super close attention to our bodies and take the right steps every day."

Yantzi was diagnosed with the disease when she was eight years old and about to enter the third grade. The Ontario native was traveling with her family when the symptoms began. Yantzi was thirsty all of the time, frequently having to use the bathroom and began fainting occasionally.

"My parents had suspicions, but they weren't sure, so my mom called the hospital," said Yantzi. "They told my mom to give me a shot of insulin. I remember I was brushing my teeth at the time and then just fainted and hit my head on the bathtub because my sugars were so high and the insulin dropped them immediately and they drove me to the hospital the next day."

Kinek was five when she was diagnosed. Kinek's older sister, Kelly, was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 21 months old so her family knew what to look out for.

"My mom kept noticing the same things over and over, but people kept telling her she was crazy and just over thinking things since my sister was diabetic," said Kinek. "She was right and she took me to the hospital. I was actually excited about it because I wanted to be like my sister, but I obviously didn't realize what that would mean."

After being diagnosed, the women had to get used to dealing with the disease and adapting to their new lifestyle. But that didn't mean basketball was out of the question and as the ladies came to learn, it could even help control the disease.

"I didn't start playing basketball until after I was diagnosed," said Yantzi. "One of the most important aspects of handling and controlling diabetes is having a healthy lifestyle. I started playing basketball because it was something to do and would help lead to a healthy lifestyle. My parents saw it as an opportunity for me to be responsible, since I couldn't play unless I controlled by diabetes."

The Lehigh coaching staff's first experience with a diabetic athlete came during the recruiting process of Yantzi. Head Coach Sue Troyan knew that her prospective athlete would have to pay close attention to a lot more than basketball.

"Coming in for their freshman year, X and Kerry really had to learn how to manage their diabetes," said Troyan. "They have to manage how they train, how they sleep, the whole social environment and a lot of things they would have to take care of on their end. The training protocol of being a Division I athlete is completely different than a high school athlete or AAU athlete, so we knew that there would be some challenges, but were excited to educate ourselves and help the girls as much as we could."

Yantzi and Kinek entered a unique situation when they arrived at Lehigh. Not only were there two diabetic athletes on the same team, something very rare, but their athletic trainer was Type 1 diabetic as well. Brian White, who now works at Stanford, was much more than just a trainer to the women.

"I tried to speak with them not as an athletic trainer, but as just a peer," said White. "I shared my experiences with the condition. I've learned the hard way how not respecting the body's need for balance of energy, intake vs. expenditure, can lead to poor performance and sometimes threatening situations."

"When we were recruiting X, I think it was very comforting for her and her family to know that she would be coming into a situation where there was a trainer who had a very strong background in the area, knew how to manage it and would be there for her," said Troyan. "If the girls' sugars spiked during a game we would immediately go to Brian. He'd ask what pregame meal was or how much sleep the girls got the night before and be able to take his past experiences with the disease and apply them to preventing the girls' sugars from spiking again."

Both women have lived with the disease for over ten years and have learned the different techniques of controlling diabetes. They each test their blood sugars multiple times a day to see whether they're high, low or around normal.

Kinek uses an insulin pump that delivers a steady, continuous dose of the hormone throughout the day and a surge around mealtime. The insulin is delivered through a small plastic tube that is inserted through the skin into the fatty tissue and taped in place. Most pump users keep the device around their waist.

Kinek kept her pump on during games all of last season, but after breaking two devices during competition she decided it was best to not play with the pump on anymore. She had to adjust and practice a new way of managing her sugars. Kinek pays extra close attention to her sugars before games to make sure that they're perfect and then she'll take her pump off for tip. When she comes out of the game, she'll put it back on, and even give herself a shot if that's what's needed to keep the pump off.

Yantzi uses a different method of giving herself shots of insulin throughout the day. She'll give herself a long-acting shot to keep her blood sugars level during the day and then a short-acting shot around mealtimes to stay balanced after food and exercise.

"They both do a really great job of managing their diabetes and knowing when their sugars aren't in check," said the team's current athletic trainer, Ryan Wantz. "Nutrition is also a very important part of managing diabetes. They have to make sure they eat the right things before and after exercise to keep their sugars in the normal range."

After living with the disease for most of their lives, Yantzi and Kinek may be used to controlling it but they know they can never stop and always need to pay attention to their bodies. Each phase of their lives will present new challenges. When coming to Lehigh, Yantzi and Kinek had to adjust to higher level basketball and a whole new lifestyle.

"Basketball has always been an intense sport and we've been elite athletes our whole lives," said Yantzi. "But when you get to the college level, you're pushing yourself more than ever before. I had to readjust and do things more specifically and with more focus."

From the beginning, the coaches and training staff have always monitored and supported Yantzi and Kinek. The women sometimes worry that their teammates or coaches will think they're trying to get out of a drill when they really just need to sit out because their sugars are too high or low. Yantzi says that's not the case.

"During my freshman year I think it was an adjustment for both the coaches and me," the senior said. "I hate taking myself out of drills and I just want to fight through it. One of the reasons I'm so happy I came to Lehigh is that I've never been questioned about my effort. They know we love playing basketball and that we want to be on the court all of the time."

"We, as a coaching staff, can immediately tell if the girls' sugars are out of whack," said Troyan. "They'll get a glazed over look in their eyes and it will really start affecting their performance. We've learned some things we can do to prevent that, but it will inevitably happen so when it does we know when it's time to sit them down."

Yantzi and Kinek have to be prepared at all times in case of emergency. The women will always carry sugar with them, whether it be skittles, juice or glucose tablets, in case their sugars are low. This can sometimes cause an inconvenience, especially while traveling. Kinek got stopped by TSA agents in the airport on the way to Ohio State in November because her emergency juice boxes exceeded the 3 oz. carry on limit. After a short delay, Kinek was able to get on her way.

The Mountain Hawk staff is also always prepared for an emergency. Wantz and the rest of the training staff are more concerned if the girls' sugars drop low than if they spike high. Wantz always has a glucagon shot on hand, which would raise blood sugars quickly in case of an emergency.

"Making sure their sugars don't go too low is important in athletics because they're going lower and lower as they use up their sugar and fuel during practices and games," said Wantz. "They have their own testers, supplies and insulin but I have the glucagon in case they go too low."

Yantzi and Kinek have proven that diabetes can't stop them from being successful athletes. Kinek is one of the Patriot League's leading scorers and rebounders and Yantzi paces the Mountain Hawk defense.

"Diabetes isn't just taking insulin," said White. "It's about balancing fuel, understanding every food has a consequence and an amount of fuel and knowing how you react to it. Then you add in the fact that illnesses, hormones, stress, and activity can all affect your reaction to insulin and energy expenditure.

"It's a tedious task to balance that, attend an elite university with rigorous academic demands, be an active collegiate basketball player and a typical college student as well," continued White. "This condition generally causes individuals to mature a bit quicker and grasp the importance of being detailed with regards to health."

They're not the only athletes to have the disease, however. Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and boxing superstar Smokin' Joe Frazier were also type 1 diabetic. Kinek remembers following the career of former Gonzaga men's basketball standout and NBA player, Adam Morrison, who was also type 1 diabetic.

"It was cool seeing that someone so good at what they do had diabetes too," said Kinek. "It shows that it really can't stop you from doing what you want to do."

There are 25.8 million children and adults in the United States that have diabetes. Yantzi and Kinek are two who have learned to control the disease and have been able to excel.

"You don't let the diabetes control you, you control it," said Yantzi. "It's a disease that's completely possible to live with. If you're smart and you take care of yourself and manage your diabetes, then you can really do anything."

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Monmouth on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 62, to, 72

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at #2 Holy Cross on March 15, 2026 , Loss , 70, to, 77

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus #1 Navy on March 12, 2026 , Win , 81, to, 76 , OT

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus #5 Loyola University Maryland on March 9, 2026 , Win , 68, to, 54

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus American on March 4, 2026 , Loss , 60, to, 62

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Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Boston University on February 21, 2026 , Win , 76, to, 61

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