DARLINGTON - Adrenaline is as integral as insulin in Logan Taylor's daily bout with diabetes.
"When most kids get the disease, they figure they can't get over it and play," Taylor said. "I've kept it under control and I love sports. It's what motivates me and it's taught me how to control diabetes."
Taylor, a senior at Darlington High School, was diagnosed at age 3 and first picked up a basketball in the second grade.
Today, Taylor is an All-SWAL Conference linebacker and a captain of the Redbirds' upstart wrestling team.
Nine years ago, he was a wide-eyed fourth-grader whose diabetic educator set up a meeting with nine-year NFL starter Jay Leeuwenburg, who made a sizable impact as a fellow diabetes sufferer.
"Here was this big guy, 6-4, 245, and I couldn't believe he was that big," Taylor said of the former offensive lineman, "and he told me he tested his blood sugar 60 times a game. He just kept control of it and told me I could do it. That was pretty amazing to me."
In seventh grade, he began the lifelong chess match of learning to make weight for wrestling. In eighth grade, he put on the football pads.
Now, in his senior year, Redbirds fans are awfully glad Taylor didn't listen when he was told that this wasn't going to be easy.
Diabetes' Darkest Period
It's the title bout at the Monroe Invitational and Taylor is in the battle of his life.
He's taken a 4-2 lead into the third period against Janesville Craig's Blair Kessler, a hulking 189-pounder who reminds onlookers why the word juggernaut exists.
Then, as is so often and so unfortunately the case, a third grappler enters the ring.
It's evident that Taylor isn't exclusively fending off Kessler in the final period. Gravity is pulling a bit harder and energy is scant as Taylor's hit a diabetic low.
"Every time he wrestles, he's going against two opponents," Darlington head coach Tom Mathias said.
"Sometimes I get low and sometimes I get high and I have a lot of competition in there," Taylor said.
Kessler scores a takedown and ties things up. A cry comes out from the crowd.
"He's done upstairs Blair, it's over in his head!"
Knowing the spectator has no clue how much invisible weight is at play and just how inaccurate his statement is, Taylor internalizes his frustration. In the absence of glucose, he uses a different form of fuel in cases like this.
"I take it very hard that someone would think that I'm done when I can push through anything," Taylor said. "It only motivates me so much more."
Whereas Kessler would've pinned mere mortals who hit such an overwhelming roadblock, Taylor only yields a decision.
It's not because of his personal competitive element. He knows his squad still has an outside shot at winning the tourney, something that may have been unthinkable three months ago.
Learning to Fly
Talk all you want about Taylor's 21-7 record. All it means is seeding implications on his goal to get to state.
Besides, he'd much rather talk about the squad he captains. You know, the one that everyone expected so little of mere weeks ago that's now 14-6 in dual meets.
"Mathias put it right out there that we might not be the best team that ever came through Darlington," Taylor said. "It makes me feel great to be the captain of a team that's doing the things we're doing."
While he and 103-pound firecracker sophomore Devin Malott headline a corps that could make state individually, Taylor thinks his squad could spring some upsets and qualify for sectionals.
His belief in his team goes a long way coming from someone with such emotional pull.
"He's a strength for this team, there's no doubt about it," Mathias said. "He's got power, strength and explosiveness. He's an inspiration to all of us."
But it's reciprocal, as the inspiration Taylor gets from his parents and his biggest fan, 25-year-old brother Colin, is matched only by that which he finds with his expanded family.
The one that he and classmate Isaiah Goebel live and learn with every day.
"These are the guys that are with you all the time," Taylor said. "It's great to have people that you like that share the same interests. You do become a family."
Pinning it Forward
Things should be getting easier for Taylor by now. Two years ago, he got on an insulin pump and no longer relies on the insulin supplied by a morning shot.
The battle of learning how much to eat to make weight while maintaining blood-sugar balance is a never-ending struggle. But, he's gotten better at the art.
But, whatever time and energy Taylor saves these days, he reinvests into those he can help.
Much like Leeuwenburg provided him a model of excellence, Taylor enjoys inspiring young athletes. At a recent diabetic camp, he enjoyed sharing his tricks of the trade with those who hope to also hope to control their ailment through sports.
He also has a friend who was recently diagnosed with diabetes and leapt at the chance to give her pointers and ease her anxiety.
As he puts it, he "just likes helping out any way he can."
Taylor may be as upstanding of a person out of the ring as he is in. But there's no questioning the latter.
"He definitely goes 110 percent every practice," Mathias said. "There's no slow speed on Logan. He busts his butt harder than anybody else. He knows he has to."
"I know I'm diabetic, but I know I'm just the same as everyone else and can be as great as any other athlete," Taylor said.
"When most kids get the disease, they figure they can't get over it and play," Taylor said. "I've kept it under control and I love sports. It's what motivates me and it's taught me how to control diabetes."
Taylor, a senior at Darlington High School, was diagnosed at age 3 and first picked up a basketball in the second grade.
Today, Taylor is an All-SWAL Conference linebacker and a captain of the Redbirds' upstart wrestling team.
Nine years ago, he was a wide-eyed fourth-grader whose diabetic educator set up a meeting with nine-year NFL starter Jay Leeuwenburg, who made a sizable impact as a fellow diabetes sufferer.
"Here was this big guy, 6-4, 245, and I couldn't believe he was that big," Taylor said of the former offensive lineman, "and he told me he tested his blood sugar 60 times a game. He just kept control of it and told me I could do it. That was pretty amazing to me."
In seventh grade, he began the lifelong chess match of learning to make weight for wrestling. In eighth grade, he put on the football pads.
Now, in his senior year, Redbirds fans are awfully glad Taylor didn't listen when he was told that this wasn't going to be easy.
Diabetes' Darkest Period
It's the title bout at the Monroe Invitational and Taylor is in the battle of his life.
He's taken a 4-2 lead into the third period against Janesville Craig's Blair Kessler, a hulking 189-pounder who reminds onlookers why the word juggernaut exists.
Then, as is so often and so unfortunately the case, a third grappler enters the ring.
It's evident that Taylor isn't exclusively fending off Kessler in the final period. Gravity is pulling a bit harder and energy is scant as Taylor's hit a diabetic low.
"Every time he wrestles, he's going against two opponents," Darlington head coach Tom Mathias said.
"Sometimes I get low and sometimes I get high and I have a lot of competition in there," Taylor said.
Kessler scores a takedown and ties things up. A cry comes out from the crowd.
"He's done upstairs Blair, it's over in his head!"
Knowing the spectator has no clue how much invisible weight is at play and just how inaccurate his statement is, Taylor internalizes his frustration. In the absence of glucose, he uses a different form of fuel in cases like this.
"I take it very hard that someone would think that I'm done when I can push through anything," Taylor said. "It only motivates me so much more."
Whereas Kessler would've pinned mere mortals who hit such an overwhelming roadblock, Taylor only yields a decision.
It's not because of his personal competitive element. He knows his squad still has an outside shot at winning the tourney, something that may have been unthinkable three months ago.
Learning to Fly
Talk all you want about Taylor's 21-7 record. All it means is seeding implications on his goal to get to state.
Besides, he'd much rather talk about the squad he captains. You know, the one that everyone expected so little of mere weeks ago that's now 14-6 in dual meets.
"Mathias put it right out there that we might not be the best team that ever came through Darlington," Taylor said. "It makes me feel great to be the captain of a team that's doing the things we're doing."
While he and 103-pound firecracker sophomore Devin Malott headline a corps that could make state individually, Taylor thinks his squad could spring some upsets and qualify for sectionals.
His belief in his team goes a long way coming from someone with such emotional pull.
"He's a strength for this team, there's no doubt about it," Mathias said. "He's got power, strength and explosiveness. He's an inspiration to all of us."
But it's reciprocal, as the inspiration Taylor gets from his parents and his biggest fan, 25-year-old brother Colin, is matched only by that which he finds with his expanded family.
The one that he and classmate Isaiah Goebel live and learn with every day.
"These are the guys that are with you all the time," Taylor said. "It's great to have people that you like that share the same interests. You do become a family."
Pinning it Forward
Things should be getting easier for Taylor by now. Two years ago, he got on an insulin pump and no longer relies on the insulin supplied by a morning shot.
The battle of learning how much to eat to make weight while maintaining blood-sugar balance is a never-ending struggle. But, he's gotten better at the art.
But, whatever time and energy Taylor saves these days, he reinvests into those he can help.
Much like Leeuwenburg provided him a model of excellence, Taylor enjoys inspiring young athletes. At a recent diabetic camp, he enjoyed sharing his tricks of the trade with those who hope to also hope to control their ailment through sports.
He also has a friend who was recently diagnosed with diabetes and leapt at the chance to give her pointers and ease her anxiety.
As he puts it, he "just likes helping out any way he can."
Taylor may be as upstanding of a person out of the ring as he is in. But there's no questioning the latter.
"He definitely goes 110 percent every practice," Mathias said. "There's no slow speed on Logan. He busts his butt harder than anybody else. He knows he has to."
"I know I'm diabetic, but I know I'm just the same as everyone else and can be as great as any other athlete," Taylor said.
