Grace Cunningham clearly remembers the day she was forced to give up her dream career. It was the same day she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2020.
Until then, the 25-year-old had been preparing to move from Adelaide to Canberra eager to train at the Royal Military College in Duntroon.
"I burst into tears [in the doctor's office] because I had just gotten accepted to RMC," Ms Cunningham said.
A simple Google search with keywords "Australian military" and "diabetes" reveals the well-known fact: "If you require insulin, you cannot serve in the Armed Forces."
Ms Cunningham never imagined herself doing anything else and dreaded a career change. It was her "biggest" mental hurdle.
A close second was a certain loss of spontaneity. The woman who played multiple sports and went for runs on a whim was now dealing with the anxiety of managing her diabetes.
Unplanned exercise could drastically affect her insulin levels, blood sugar and hydration resulting in hypo or hyperglycaemia. Without immediate attention these conditions can be fatal for someone with type 1 diabetes.
"I used to play football, AFL, run all the time, go for hikes and that all just stopped," Ms Cunningham said. "I wear a constant glucose monitor ... I was too scared to play football because I was scared it was gonna get ripped off."
'Like solving a math problem'
Eventually, the 29-year-old did move to Canberra to work as a public servant. Almost four years since her diagnosis, she's learnt how to plan physical activities to avoid worrying. She likened her new exercise routine to "solving a math problem".
"A lot more goes into a decision to go for a run, and it is unfortunately a decision," she said.
Before heading out, Ms Cunningham would take note of glucose and insulin levels in her body while accounting for running distance, steep hills and the adrenaline that would follow.
She preferred leggings with pockets to carry rations of gummy bears, needles and insulin. She also carried enough water and her phone in case of an emergency.
While it is not known what causes type 1 diabetes, national body Diabetes Australia reports there are 134,000 Australians living with this chronic autoimmune condition.
Knowing thousands like her are diagnosed every year and go on to live "full lives", Ms Cunningham said she did not want to stay in bed and wallow.
"I didn't really have a choice. I'm not gonna be that one that's gonna cry myself to sleep every night because my pancreas decided to stop working after 25 years," Ms Cunningham said.
One of the "cool things" she's done since overcoming her fears was signing up for the Canberra Marathon Festival on April 7th. After years of diabetic anxiety, she wanted to prove to herself she could complete a 5.4kilometre run.
"I'll probably be elated, proud of myself and excited for the next race? Because if I can do that, a 10K is going to be fine," Ms Cunningham said.
