Scars, Goals, and Growth

My T1D Story as a Hawkeye Soccer Player

Delaney Holtey: student athlete on the University of Iowa women's soccer team and a T1D of 14 years.

Hi there! My name is Delaney Holtey, and I am a 21-year-old college student at the University of Iowa. I just wrapped up my last season playing soccer as an Iowa Hawkeye and will be graduating this May to continue onto chiropractic school this summer! I was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at 7 years old (2nd grade), so I have had T1D for over 14 years. 

I was a very active kid, and T1D was not in my family prior to my diagnosis. When I was diagnosed, I was very sick and had to learn an entirely new routine and lifestyle. With the help of my support systems, I was back to playing the sports I loved two weeks later. I believe that support systems have a huge impact on a T1D’s life, so this is something I really emphasize. As I grew, I had to take on new routines, new coaches, and new places to train. These things all impacted my journey as a T1D and taught me how to be more proactive with my T1D management. I had great coaches growing up, some of which were supportive of my T1D and some that were not. This helped shape my mindset as a student-athlete: no one was going to tell me I couldn’t do something because I was a diabetic. 

Delaney playing as an Iowa Hawkeye.

I knew from a young age that I wanted to play college soccer at a high level. I wanted to play for a Division 1 school within a Power 5 Conference. I wanted to play for a program that would allow me to be comfortable, felt like a family, and would always push me to grow as a person and player. I verbally committed to the University of Iowa at the age of 15 at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school. From then on, I knew that the “real work” was about to start. I had some challenges with teammates and coaches shortly after committing, making my anxiety skyrocket. I questioned whether I wanted to continue playing my sport. I was so nervous about the change and transition of college that I wasn’t allowing myself to grow. After hitting rock bottom mentally and physically during COVID-19 (during my junior year of high school), I decided that I was not going to let my fear rule my life anymore. I became highly regimented and disciplined, leaning on my faith and training. My senior year came and went with many successes and lessons in leadership. As I transitioned into college, injury struck.

During my time at the University of Iowa, I spent almost 2 entire seasons injured. I was diagnosed with chronic Compartment Syndrome at the beginning of my freshman year, leading to surgery. After returning from that and getting my confidence back, I headed into sophomore year ready to work hard and live out my dreams. 4 games into that season, I was hit during a game. Within 3 weeks of that initial hit, I found that my right fibula in my lower leg was broken. I was frustrated and felt burdened by bad luck. As my dad always told me growing up, “Life is unfair: accept it or get left behind.” I accepted what my situation was and leaned into my role instead of fighting it. These injuries allowed me to fulfill other roles within our team as I was able to grow as a supportive teammate, mentor, and leader. Returning after my broken leg, I was able to stay healthy into my junior year. In 2023, we made program history and became Big Ten Tournament Champions. We also hosted our first-ever NCAA tournament game. I was able to play, and I felt that we could see all our hard work pay off individually and as a team. Heading into my senior season, we made history again. We had yet another successful season and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in 2024. 

Delaney in an important high school game heading the soccer ball.

My time as a T1D collegiate athlete taught me so much about leadership and mindset. I knew that no matter what, I wanted to work hard and give everything 100% of what I had that day. I was constantly changing seasons, routines, and making small changes to my T1D management so I could perform at my best as much as possible. While we cannot control most things as T1Ds, learning to be proactive was key as an athlete, so you could set yourself up for success the best you can. I learned that hardships are what shape you into a better person and leader, allowing for the largest periods of growth. While my collegiate career did not go the way I had dreamt of at the age of 15, I am still incredibly blessed with my experiences that have shaped who I am. I am thankful for my support systems, teammates, and coaching staff who were with me through it all.

I learned that life should be about relationships and helping others become better, not only about stats and success. About halfway through my senior season, I knew it was time for me to hang up the cleats and head into my next chapter, chiropractic school. It is time for me to heal my body and start helping other people heal theirs. My journey has absolutely shaped who I am today, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I am incredibly thankful for my experiences and hope that by sharing my journey, I can help others have confidence in themselves to achieve their dreams!

I am so excited to have the opportunity to talk about my story with Joseph on the T1Determind Podcast to further dive into the topics above. I hope you enjoy what we discuss!

A younger version of Delaney passionate about learning soccer, holding electrolytes and glucose.

written by Delaney Holtey

I hope this helps. Stay strong. Stay determined. T1Determined.