Just a guy who does stuff....

G’day! I’m Jack and I am a surfer, Marketing Manager and YouTuber. For me, Type 1 Diabetes is a family affair but it hasn’t always been like this.

When I was the age of 15 I had never heard of Type 1 Diabetes before. Then out of the blue my younger sister got sick and was diagnosed. I remember the shock the entire extended family felt and we all tried to support her as best we could. As a family, we all had a crash course in Type1 management. We learned about the condition and how to recognise hypos, high blood glucose, how important insulin is and nearby hypo snacks are. She enjoyed the attention and was really good about the change in lifestyle. To her credit, she is still super optimistic about life.

Jack and his 2 sisters when diagnosed..

Less than 6 months later, I noticed that I was super thirsty and was consuming an irregular amount of water and asking the teaches to go to the toilet every hour. Right away I recognised the symptoms. That night, with a cheeky smile I announced that ‘I am diabetic too’. My mum checked my blood glucose level to confirm my outrageous statement. I was 15.0.

Soon I was medically diagnosed and spent the ‘intro’ week in the hospital refreshing everything I learned less than a year ago. As I knew the ins-and-outs of the condition, I accepted the condition with a shrug. Following my sister's lead in the optimism department, I put on a brave face when injecting and managed best I could. However there was a downside of diagnosing myself early, I experience 2+ years of honeymooning, which resulted in a lot of low glucose situations. I remember a couple of months after my diagnosis, after dinner my sister and I were helping ourselves to an extra serving of ice cream (due to low glucose levels), when my little sister got jealous and threw a tantrum. She ended up stamping off yelling “I wish I had diabetes too”. Her mood went from bad to worse a week later. Mum tested her blood glucose to find out that we had another type 1 diabetic in the ranks. I guess you should be careful of what you wish for.

The Sinclair family…

There we were, three out of the four Sinclair children eating an extra serving of ice cream asking which side of the family passed on the Type 1 gene. My dad chimed in. “Not on my side, and if I had Type 1 Diabetes, I would manage it much better than you lot”. 2 weeks later at age 55, my dad was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and out of all of us, he is still the worst at managing it. Ok so let's do a recap; two out of my three sisters have Type 1 Diabetes, I have it, my dad now has it, all within a small space of 2 years. And my poor mum is left to look after us all. As a family unit the condition was never isolating for my siblings or I. Mum always ensured that we had all the correct medical supplies. Even today I live in reassurance that we can call upon each other to borrow equipment or give eachother support.

Being diagnosed at 16 was a curse at the time, but a blessing in hindsight. I used the condition as an excuse to get out of peer pressured party situations as a teenager and learned about nutrition must earlier than most teenagers and too. Most of all I have always tried to keep fit to stay in control of this disease. Apart from a few sticky situations, Type 1 diabetes has never had a negative impact on my life and I refuse to let it hold me back from achieving my goals.

Jack whilst out surfing..

As a Type 1 Diabetic I have; - Been a volunteer life saver (and yes, I have saved MANY lives) - Competed in grand finals in footy, volleyball and swimming - Been a paid beach Life Guard ( paid to save lives) - Travelled solo for 3 months through India and Nepal - Lived abroad (London) - Worked on farms, as a pizza delivery boy, retail, factory, barista, now in marketing - Been on multiple surf trips to Indonesia.

Yes, Type1 Diabetes is a constant mental and medical juggling act. One must always be vigilant about their glucose levels but don’t forget to live life to the fullest!

Be open about your condition and plug into the fantastic online Type1 community. If you don’t know how to connect with others living with Type1 start by coming to one of the T1F events or reach out and say g’day to me on Insta @jackabetic.

Or catch me on FB @ Jackabetic

Jack rocking his Type1 Beanie in 2019..

“We are very proud to have Jack on board as our newest T1F Ambassador. We believe Jack is a true example of positivity, spirit and strength. Jack is showing the world what is possible and living life to the fullest whilst also living with Type1. We are looking forward to having Jack as both a mentor and supporter for our young kids and adults alike. Be sure to follow @jackabetic on socials. - Ange Liston-McCaughley CEO T1F”