141. How Diabetes Made NBA Player Gary Forbes a Better Athlete

Reclaim Your Rise: Type 1 Diabetes with Lauren Bongiorno

On today’s episode, I’m joined by former NBA player and dad, Gary Forbes. Having grown up in a family of professional athletes, Gary immediately leaned on his dad, who also has diabetes, for encouragement. In this conversation, Gary talks about his journey with using a CGM, how he conquered his fear of needles, the challenges of managing diabetes with basketball, and why he believes T1D has made him a stronger athlete. He also candidly discusses his approach to break chronic health stigmas in sports and how he learned to become more transparent in the NBA about his condition.

Time Stamps:

• (02:17) “What phase of diabetes are you in on your journey?”
• (05:15) Pushing Against Stigma of Diabetes Diagnosis “I chose to go plan A and plan A was to make plan A work”
• (07:18) The Influence of Gary’s Father
• (08:34) Olympic Family History and Athletic Background
• (10:12) The Relationship to Diabetes and How You Approach Challenges
• (14:07) How He Worked Through Fear of Needles
• (19:35) “Diabetes made me a better athlete”
• (20:51) Learning & Adapting to Diabetes Management
• (22:34) Managing T1D as an Athlete: “I’m managing this so I can achieve this”
• (28:07) Transparency and Breaking Stigmas in Sports
• (38:20) Sole Survivors

What to do now:

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. The event of the year for reclaiming life with type one diabetes is BACK. For the first time ever, this is a live hybrid event—both virtual and in-person. Register here for Rising Above T1D 2024.
3. Follow Gary on IG @garyforbes_ and check out his work to help children with health challenges to boost their self esteem @thesolesurvivors

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.