The uplifting story of Ashton Gibbs

Ashton Gibbs is an eighth grader at Minisink Valley Middle School in Orange County, NY. He has been living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for two years and manages it with a pump and a sensor. He is also a competitive weightlifter who speaks with the intellect and focus of a professional athlete.

Ashton knew nothing about weightlifting when he started at a local gym almost three years ago. A family friend told him to give it a try, so he did. He embraced the sport quickly and learned new movements including the ‘snatch’ (when a barbell is lifted from the floor to an overhead position in one continuous motion) and the ‘clean and jerk’ (when a barbell is lifted from the floor to the shoulders and then explosively overhead to a stationary, locked-out position). These movements demand strength, speed, balance, and coordination. 

When Ashton was diagnosed with T1D his mother Erica feared he wouldn’t be able to continue with the sport he had come to love. However, with the help of his team at the Berrie Center, this proved to be far from the case. 

“We weren't sure what activities were going to look like,” Erica said. “We thought it would be a life-changing thing. However, with the technology, and the knowledge that we have now, it's just like everyday life.”  

Ashton trains two to three times per week, and backs into those afternoons with precision. He adjusts his insulin according to the intensity of the workout. 

“When it comes to weightlifting with diabetes, it really depends on the mood of the day and how heavy the schedule is,” he said. “I found that on a light day, my blood sugar will run around 120 to 150 mg/dL throughout the workout. On heavier, more challenging days, where there's more adrenaline, it's higher. It's like 150 to 180mg/dL.” 

Practice involves a lot of fine-tuning techniques, squats, cardio, and according to Ashton, drinking a lot of water. To best prepare in advance for the variety of workouts Ashton has various settings on his pump.  

Food is another big component of weightlifting preparation. “We usually try to be mindful of what he is eating for an afterschool snack on weightlifting days,” said Erica. Favorite low-carb snacks include seaweed sheets and pickles. After a session he likes to refuel with beef tacos or other protein-heavy meals.

When his sugars drop low during a workout, Ashton’s treatment of choice is Body Armor Sports Drink. “Because it's coconut water based, I found that I don’t get a huge spike afterwards,” he explained. On special occasions and especially during holiday time, Ashton will allow himself to indulge in eggnog when his sugars are low. 

As many parents of children with T1D understand, some days are more complicated than others. Factors such as stress, activity, food intake and more can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar. Erica knows this very well. She admits to “constantly watching his continuous glucose monitor and watching the trends.”  

To keep as stable as possible, Erica stays in close contact with Ashton’s pediatric endocrinologist at the Berrie Center Dr. Kristen Williams. She said together they will look at Ashton’s numbers, tweaks his ratios and discuss his schedule. 

“Having the support of the diabetes center has been huge. We were recommended to the Berrie Center by a friend who has a son with type 1 diabetes and it’s just been life changing. After the first visit, we got in the car, and I cried because I was so excited to find an office I really felt like we could communicate with, and we've seen nothing but improvement.” 


Ashton doesn’t even remember what life was like before diabetes. He is in a groove; focused on winning championships and beating his personal records. 

His advice to other young athletes with T1D: “Whatever sport you want to do, you can do it, to the same degree as someone without diabetes, if not better. Something I say a lot is you don't realize how many people must overcome challenges. I feel like diabetes is a very, very big challenge, but you can overcome it if you try hard.”