South Winneshiek senior Mitch Herold, a four-sport athlete for the Warriors, is also a type 1 diabetic. He wears an insulin pump and checks his blood sugar at least four times per day to help manage his diabetes. (Zakary Kriener photo)
'Nothing is gonna stand in my way'
Zakary Kriener
News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com
A state-record time, 100 rushing yards, 30 points, a home run, a blood sugar level between 80 and 140. These are just a few of the goals that South Winneshiek senior Mitch Herold might set for himself during any given season.
The track sprinter, football quarterback, basketball guard, and baseball outfielder also has diabetes mellitus type 1.
“I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was in second grade,” recalled the young athlete. “I can remember being constantly thirsty and having to go to the bathroom.”
After a couple of weeks, Mitch’s parents began to think that something may be wrong. After consulting with a friend, they thought that Mitch might indeed have diabetes.
“One morning my dad woke me up and told me that he was going to prick my finger,” chuckled Mitch. “I remember wondering if it was going to hurt.”
When the results came back a few seconds later, Mitch had a blood sugar level of over 400.