Meet Treshawn

“I’m a good basketball player, but who knows if I would have been accepted because of my medical condition,” explained Treshawn, a 27-year-old professional basketball player who lives with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Gause has been living with T1D for over 9 years. And getting diagnosed with T1D was — as it would be for anyone — a huge deal. At the time of his diagnosis, Gause was an 18-year-old senior in high school who was actively trying to be recruited for college basketball.

At the time, Gause decided it was in his best interest not to disclose to other students, coaches, and scouts about his T1D diagnosis, feeling it could compromise his ability to obtain a college scholarship. Gause explained, “I was honestly worried and nervous about people finding out.”

In 2018, Gause was accepted into William Woods University — where he would go on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science.

 

A Family Disease

Gause’s sister was also diagnosed with T1D in elementary school, even though Gause’s parents and grandparents have no family history of T1D. And since he watched his younger sister living with T1D, he always assumed he would develop it, too.

Gause explained that he started having excessive thirst and was urinating a lot more than usual. “I felt like I was swallowing hot sauce because I was having crazy acid reflux. Plus, I was having extreme exhaustion, and I was struggling to play basketball at my full potential.” This led to Gause’s teachers thinking they were being pranked with how often he was asking to use the bathroom.

“In basketball games, I was getting pushed around easily,” explained Gause. And because Gause’s mom started to become suspicious of T1D, she decided to check his blood sugar.

The result was so high it didn’t even register as a number on the glucometer. It simply read, “high,” said Gause. After receiving a T1D diagnosis from a local urgent care, Gause recounted thinking, “I’m the type of person who never wanted people to look at me and think — since I have diabetes, I’m different.”

 

A Dream Come True

“I always knew I was going to be a professional basketball player,” explained Gause. “I just didn’t know that I was going to be a professional basketball player living with T1D.”

“Living with T1D makes you understand your body on a different level,” said Gause. “Diabetes taught me a new way of understanding my body’s needs — learning what I should eat and ways I can better myself.”

As Gause now enters his third professional season playing basketball, he better understands what his body is telling him — on, and off, the court.

 

T1D and Basketball: A Different Type of Game

Gause shared his tips and tricks for staying in-range as an athlete with T1D.

  • Before a game, he tries to stay in a tight glucose range of 130 to 140 mg/dl. This way, he feels safe with some wiggle room to drop throughout play.
  • During a game, Gause uses the Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). In addition, he works with his trainer, who has access to his CGM readings; they use hand signals if he’s trending high or dropping low.
  • Before, during, and after a game or practice, Gause shared that listening to his body is essential. “It’s important to fuel your body and to stay hydrated,” explained Gause.
  • Finally, education is key. Gause never stops educating himself about living with T1D, reminding, “There’s always more to learn!”

“As a T1D professional athlete, I don’t view myself as different than any other player,” shared Gause. “I know I can do whatever I put my mind to. But it does take discipline regarding what I eat, managing my blood glucose levels, and taking care of my body.”

 

Silent Grind Training

In addition to playing professional basketball, Gause is also a business owner. At Silent Grind in Northwest Arkansas, he offers basketball skills training, strength coaching, and conditioning to help young, aspiring athletes excel at their sport.

Gause is driven to share the knowledge he’s obtained from a decade of living with T1D, and playing sports, to help inspire the next generation to do even better.

 

Participate in Research

We ask our community to sign up for the T1D Exchange Registry this Black History Month. The Registry is an online research study for people living with T1D in the U.S. Joining is easy and only takes 15 minutes. Enrolled participants have access to a custom dashboard where they are notified about T1D research opportunities. These research opportunities range from online surveys to virtual participation to in-person clinical trials.