He was young, full of life, and then, out of nowhere, life threw a curveball. That’s what happened to then- 18-year-old Jake Gibbons. A 2014 USA Swimming Scholastic All-America and 2012 Connecticut Open Water Champion, everyone knew he had a bright future ahead. But just days after he turned 18, something felt wrong.

He lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks and was constantly urinating. Soon, doctors confirmed it: diabetes, a disease that could have ended his swimming career. Yet Jake didn’t give up.

It was January 2015. He was in the midst of midterm exams during his senior year at The Bolles School. Gibbons went for a routine physical, where he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Now, 11 years later, he has opened up about the struggles that diagnosis brought and how he continued competing at an elite level. Speaking on a podcast, he reflected on that time when host Mel Stewart asked about how young athletes process life-changing news:

“I was diagnosed… I had already committed to Yale at this point and had big aspirations within swimming like at that point… but I wanted to make trials I wanted to be successful,” he added.” When they read my initial glucose numbers, they were like you should be in a coma by now.”

Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the body doesn’t produce insulin. There’s isn’t a specific reason behind its occurrence, and the early days can be overwhelming.

Gibbons’ first doctor warned him, “It’s probably not smart for you to swim like you do anymore… you should probably not be an elite swimmer.” He also advised a drastic change in diet. “You’re not gonna want to eat carbs really for the rest of your life. It’s easier if you just eat protein.”

Sitting in the hospital room, Gibbons and his family were left wondering what to do next. Determined not to let the diagnosis end his dreams, he learned to manage his diabetes.

Gibbons credited Gary Hall Jr., the legendary American sprinter who won 10 Olympic medals across three Games, as an inspiration: “He could do it, I could do it.”

Hall Jr. was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1999, just before the Sydney Olympics. Like Gibbons, doctors warned his career might be over, but Hall Jr. adjusted, trained carefully, and went on to win gold medals in both Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

Inspired, Jake Gibbons threw himself into learning how to manage his condition. “It still took about six months to learn how to manage it well… fuel myself properly through a practice,” he said. Within a few months, he was back to posting some of his best times.

“There’s this wave of ‘oh my gosh, my dreams are over’ to ‘I’m gonna prove this single doctor wrong.’ Okay. It’s been done before. I won’t necessarily be the first to ever do it. I could still do this at a high level, and I saw some best times within three months and knew that I’d be okay.”

Managing Type 1 diabetes became a part of Jake Gibbons’ daily routine. Most days, he used to check his blood sugar six to ten times, and on competition days, it could reach 15 checks.

It was a new kind of training, one that demanded as much discipline as his swims. And this challenge would prepare him for the highs and pressures of competitive swimming.

The evolution of Jake Gibbons

Jake Gibbons’ journey in swimming has never been a straight line. Since the time he became a part of the Bolles Sharks back in 2013, there was no doubt he was talented.

He had scored national qualifications to swim at Winter Junior Nationals, Summer Junior Nationals, and Winter Senior Nationals, and began to garner some impressive honors: NISCA All-America 2014, Second Team All-State 2014, All-First Coast 2013-2014, 2014 USA Swimming Scholastic All-America, and 2012 Connecticut Open Water Champion.

He was also a four-time Connecticut Senior Champion and helped Bolles win two Florida Team State Championships. After high school, he briefly attended Yale before transferring to Texas A&M, where his career shifted from just swimming to leadership.

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At A&M, he led the team that held the record-setter with a 9:05.38 in the 1000-yard freestyle and was named a several-time CSCAA Scholar All-American. He was also given the Texas A&M Distinguished Letterman Award.

Upon graduation, Gibbons tested out life beyond the lanes but swimming was hard to truly let go of. He came back as a volunteer assistant coach at Texas A&M, where the team made its best NCAA finish ever. He then returned home to Bolles as Senior Assistant Coach and Varsity Head Coach in 2022.

Despite adversity, national competitions, diabetes, transfers, and job changes, Gibbons remained tied to the same principle of resilience, love of the sport, and the desire to see others perform well.