HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) – Spain Park senior Bradley Williams has signed with Maryland to wrestle in the Big Ten Conference despite being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during his junior year.
Wrestling wasn’t always Williams’ passion. He attempted to quit the sport multiple times early in his career.
“I tried to quit a few times… my dad wouldn’t let me. I think I even threw away my wrestling shoes once. The next morning, they were on the counter, and he told me that we were going to practice,” Williams said.
Williams, who hasn’t lost a high school match since his freshman year, will compete on a full scholarship for the Terrapins in what is considered the premier conference for college wrestling.
Spain Park’s Bradley Williams overcomes type 1 diabetes diagnosis to earn Maryland scholarship(James Pressler | SOURCE: Jim Pressler)
The diabetes diagnosis came in September of his junior year during a tournament when Williams was experiencing unusual weight loss.
“I was losing a ton of weight, which was practical for wrestling… I wanted to lose weight for a tournament coming up. Easiest weight cut I’ve ever had,” Williams said.
His father Jeff, who also helps coach Bradley, recognized something was wrong.
“My dad knew something was up. The next day, he took me to the hospital and they told me I had diabetes,” Williams said.
Spain Park wrestling coach Ryan Thompson said Williams has adapted well to managing his condition while competing.
“He’s done a great job with it. The average person wouldn’t know what he deals with… He’ll check his blood sugar in here, go get a snack, come back out, wrestle some more,” Thompson said.
Williams said managing diabetes requires consistent attention.
“It’s a very scary process. All the time, just fluctuating. I have to check my blood sugar, eat. Take insulin, 24/7,” Williams said.
Despite the challenges, Williams said he refuses to let the diagnosis derail his wrestling goals.
“I can’t give up. I can’t let it win or anything like that,” Williams said. “It’s going to be something hard to deal with, but if I push past it it’ll show how much more I wanted it.”
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