โBut I would say that I donโt necessarily know, or think, that I would be better without diabetes. I donโt think that.
โI think it is part of my life. It is who I am these days, and maybe it even helped me. As I said, I had to grow up faster. I had to know what is good for me, what is bad for me.
โI was kind of pushing my limits, also maybe a bit more because of the stubbornness that I also have. Iโm not unhappy about anything.
โI got diagnosed more than 24 years ago, and I feel like diabetes 24 years ago and diabetes now are very, very different, right?
โA lot of doctors, a lot of specialists, were suggesting professional sports with diabetes back then was like an impossible thing. It was not something that was very, very common. But luckily for me, I had a very stubborn mother, and she was basically saying, โMy son wants to do something, weโre going to do itโ and we wonโt let โฆ this illness limit ourselves.โ
He pointed out that Nacho Fernandez, one of Spainโs best footballers, and other gold medal-winning Olympians also had type 1 diabetes.
โI always felt like you could do anything with diabetes, and if youโre managing it right, and if you have it under control, I donโt see why there should be a reason not to be professional.โ
Paddy McCartin (right) and his brother Tom (left) after the Swansโ 2022 grand final loss to Geelong.Credit: Getty Images
A pump that can be worn on the body to regulate insulin levels has been advantageous in managing diabetes for Zverev and former AFL player Paddy McCartin. The Medtronic pumps โ they cost $8000 and last four years โ are helpful in training and life, but canโt be worn in matches.
McCartin, like Zverev, was diagnosed at a young age but not deterred by his diabetes.
McCartinโs career, which began at St Kilda as a No.1 draft pick and ended playing alongside his brother Tom at the Swans, was cut short by multiple concussions.
He doesnโt believe there is any correlation between the diabetes and the concussions he suffered.
โThere was never any sort of signs for that. I think it was just a coincidence, and I was a bit unlucky,โ he said.
โIโd definitely looked into it for sure. It would have been silly not to, with the amount of them I had.โ
McCartin, like Zverev, was very private about the diabetes for a long period in his career but was encouraged when he arrived at the Swans to open up about it to the players. It helped that Tom was there with him when he did, but he felt it was cathartic.
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