About Michelle McGann
Started playing golf at 7 years old.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the young age of 13.
Michelle is a 3-time Florida State Junior Champion and the 1987 USGA Junior Girls Champion.
In 1987 named the AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year and Rolex Junior First-Team All-American.
In 1987 named GOLF Magazine and GOLF Digest Amateur of the Year.
In 1988, captured the 1988 Doherty Cup Championship title and played in the U.S. Women’s Open and Boston Five Classic as an amateur.
Joined the LPGA in 1989.
9 professional wins.
Two time Solheim team member.
One of the most popular personalities in women’s golf for 30+ years.
Living and Playing with Diabetes
The first time Michelle stepped foot onto a golf course she was only 7 years old.
“I can still distinctly remember the smell of the fresh cut grass, the feeling of having special “alone” time with my Dad and how powerful I could feel when a perfect swing, stance and concentration made the ball soar in the air,” stated Michelle.
It’s that love of the game that has kept Michelle playing one of the most strategic and challenging sports even when faced with adversity. When Michelle was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the young age of 13, her whole family was shocked. What did this mean for Michelle? How would it affect her friendships at school? Could she ever play golf again? As the shock and anger wore off and the McGann family educated themselves about the disease, and quickly realized that with careful management it would be possible for Michelle to live her dream of becoming a pro golfer.
It is very possible to be overwhelmed by the amount of information given to you when first diagnosed. The one thing to remember that was proven by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) “is that keeping glucose levels close to those of a person without diabetes can prevent or slow the progress of many complications of diabetes, giving extra years of healthy, active life.”
T1 Diabetes Statistics
Some 1.45 million Americans are living with T1D.
64,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
2.1 million people in the U.S. are expected to have T1D by 2040.
Between 2001 and 2009, there was a 21 percent increase in the prevalence of T1D in people under age 20.
In the U.S., there are $16 billion in T1D-associated healthcare expenditures and lost income annually.
Less than one-third of people with T1D in the U.S. are consistently achieving target blood-glucose control levels.