Drew Holder: Hitting Diabetes Out of the Park

Drew Holder, a professional baseball player from Austin, TX, went to high school at Round Rock Westwood where he played as a 1st Team All-State Shortstop. Drew played Division I college baseball for the Dallas Baptist University Patriots from 2003-2006 where he won 2 NCCAA World Series and was MVP in 2003. Over the years, Drew’s career has taken him around the country and earned him numerous awards including Metroplex Player of the Year, Independent Player of the Year, and Louisville Slugger TPX All American.

After graduating in June 2006 from DBU with a Business Management degree, Drew had the honor of being drafted by the Houston Astros and played two seasons in their minor league system and later, two seasons with the Grand Prairie AirHogs.

Drew now lives in the Dallas area with wife Courtney and has recently teamed up with the JDRF Greater Dallas Chapter to be a Mentor to provide support to individuals and families living with diabetes. Drew enjoys teaching baseball, and has a desire to inspire people with his story of living with Type 1. We asked Drew to share his story on our blog as a monthly addition, so read on to learn more about Drew and watch for a new post each month!

Every person has a story. My journey could be looked upon as a little more challenging and even life threatening.  The intention of this post is to give you an overview of when and how I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, and the activities that propelled me to surpass my own and many others expectations as a Professional Athlete.

At the age of 3, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, also known as Juvenile Diabetes. As a small child my parents definitely thought it was weird that I was going to the sink, and drinking 5 glasses of water at a time. As you know after drinking all that water, I really had to go, haha. After a couple of weeks of this, my parents finally gave in – and took me to the doctor. I don’t remember much of how I felt, but I knew it was a shock to my family. Life would not be the same.

My family and support system played and still actively play a huge role in living with Diabetes. My mom was a pediatric nurse at the time of diagnosis, and spent time later in Endocrinology. There were many times in my life her medical skills would be of tremendous help, and you will read some of these times in later postings. My father also became a nurse by default, with a special in Diabetes management. Even my younger sister played a great role in my needs with Diabetes. My wife Courtney, now is the definition of a Diabetic Specialist, although I am sure there have been some times when we first started dating when the thought “What is wrong with this guy” surely crossed her mind. She carries all spare supplies in her purse I may need, and usually knows when my blood sugar is not where it is supposed to be (usually because of the way I am acting).

Check out this News Story on Drew Holder as a professional baseball player living with diabetes.

My goal of this blog, which will have a new article every month, is to encourage and inspire. If I can help, or serve you in any way, please post below or email me at drewholder24@yahoo.com. I would love to use my past experiences to answer questions or concerns anyone might have. May God bless you, and I look forward to hearing from you, and sharing more in the future.

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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!