Dance pro Rylee Arnold recalled a “Dancing With the Stars” moment when she experienced a bit of a scare during her live performance. See how Arnold manages competing on the show with Type 1 diabetes.
How Rylee Arnold Manages T1 Diabetes During Rehearsals, Performances
In an October 5 TikTok video, Arnold provided some insight into how she manages Type 1 diabetes while competing on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“Rehearsals are super under control for me for my diabetes,” she explained. “I have a lot of time in rehearsal to go and look at my phone and check my blood sugar often, but also I kind of schedule my meals.”
She noted that she eats in advance of rehearsal, avoiding the “worry about going too high” or “going to low” with her blood sugar.
“If my blood sugar is too high or if it’s too low, it really does affect my performance,” Arnold explained.
On show days, she has a different approach. “Usually on show day, I try to eat just high protein meals and the most minimal carbs I can,” the pro dancer shared. “Because just with stress and not really having the time to worry about my blood sugar, I try to eat so that it doesn’t spike my blood sugar throughout the day.”
She also explained how there’s a coordinator who “knows a lot about Type 1 diabetes” and is aware of what the dance pro needs.
“He knows that I need my phone often,” Arnold explained. “He carries my insulin wherever I go and just always stays in close proximity to me so that my phone can stay connected to my Dexcom to get all of my blood sugar readings.”
When asked if the show has ever moved the order of the dancers to accommodate her high or low blood sugar, she shared, “They have not done that and probably won’t.”
Arnold explained, “It is a live show and the show just keeps going. There is no pausing, there is no adjusting. So for me, I have gone out while being low before and it was not the best time ever, but I’ve learned how to manage it and figure that out.”
Rylee Arnold Said She Had to Deal With an Issue Mid-DWTS Performance
“The worst is going out super high [blood sugar],” Arnold shared.
Last season, during a performance with partner Stephen Nedoroscik, Arnold said her blood sugar went “super high” and she got a cramp during the first move in their dance. “And my calf cramped up because it was so dehydrated because my blood sugar was high,” the dancer explained.
She continued, “And it was the worst, because the whole dance I was trying to shake it off and get it to go back to normal. And it just wouldn’t and it was the worst thing ever.”
“Luckily, this season I’ve had it down to a T,” Arnold said. “I really make sure what I’m eating throughout the day doesn’t spike my blood sugar, and I also am just super aware.”
Arnold’s fans flooded the comments section with praise for how she manages her health with her career. “Life with t1d can be so challenging but it is also so empowering and we can thrive with it!” one fan wrote. “Love seeing you shine with it.”
Others noted that they couldn’t figure out which performance Arnold struggled during. “Me trying to figure out which dance with Stephen you’re talking about because you handled it so well I’d NEVER have guessed,” one person commented.
