Norwalk resident Margo Campos plays for Whittier College and struggles with Diabetes on and off the court.
(Whittier) The Whittier College Women’s Basketball team will dedicate a home game to the American Diabetes Association in support of one of the team Captains, Margo Campos, who is affected by Type I diabetes.
The game will take place Thursday, December 5th at 7:00pm on the Whittier College campus in the Graham Athletics Center.
Margo Campos, a freshman from Norwalk has inspired her teammates to learn more about diabetes, and now the entire team, including the head coach Elizabeth Stanley, are eager to raise funds for the American Diabetes Association.
Campos was diagnosed with Type I diabetes during her Junior year of high school, which completely changed her life. Campos’s parents and her peers were shocked to learn that their athletic daughter and friend had diabetes, “No one thought the skinny, athletic girl could be diagnosed with diabetes,” said Campos.
This news changed the way Campos lives her life, “I have to be cautious of everything I eat. I also have to give myself insulin before every meal.” For a freshman in college, this is very tough. Many students do not worry about their eating habits, let alone worry about their insulin dosage. Margo Campos states, “My health obstacles are tough, but this has allowed the people around me to become more aware of diabetes, which affects so many people in the United States.”
It has been two years since she has been diagnosed, but Campos still struggles with the emotional and physical aspect of being diabetic, “It is a constant reminder that I cannot eat everything I would like to, and I am not as ‘free’ as a young adult.” This may be a challenge for Campos, but she is able to still focus on her classes and on the sport she loves, basketball.
Whittier College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The head coach, Elizabeth Stanley, has been very supportive of each and every single player. When she first learned about Campos’s condition, Coach Stanley was surprised to see a strong and outgoing individual who has so much on her plate. “Margo is as tough as they come! She is incredibly competitive and demands the best from herself, while inspiring her teammates to give their best as well. Margo’s maturity and competitive drive exceed her youthful disposition,” says Coach Stanley.
After hearing about Campos’s situation, the team and Coach Stanley were dedicated to learn what it means to be diabetic. Everyone realized that this is a different way of living, and that there are organizations, like the American Diabetes Association, that help those who are affected by diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association funds research to prevent, cure, and manage diabetes. In addition the organization delivers services to numerous communities, and provides useful information. The Whittier College Women’s Basketball team reached out to the American Diabetes Association in order to raise money, and the organization was pleased to hear about the team’s efforts to support their fellow teammate and the American Diabetes Association by donating all the proceeds from the game to the organization.
Despite the struggle to adjust to the news and change in habits, this obstacle in Campos’s life inspired her to aspire for great things, “I thought about going into research to hopefully find a cure.” This strong student-athlete has taken her situation and turned it into a positive outcome. She has become a role model to others to show them that anyone can overcome anything.
Dedicating their December 5th home game to the American Diabetes Association is not only done to support Whittier college student-athlete, Margo Campos, and the American Diabetes Association, but to raise awareness on campus and in the community about diabetes.
Support the Whittier College Women’s Basketball as they “Play for a Cause” and raise money for the American Diabetes Association.
