GOLF IS A MENTAL game as much as it is a physical game, but when a player faces a daily battle with a disease like diabetes, the stakes are even higher.

As a diabetic, City College freshmen golfer Madison Holm says she must maintain normal blood sugar levels because an imbalance can cause mental and physical fatigue if not handled correctly.

“In some aspects, [the diabetes] can be the most difficult part of golf,” explains Holm. “If my blood sugar is high or too low, I can’t swing the club right, and I mis-hit things.”

But despite her condition, Holm says she has come to embrace her daily struggles with success every time she steps on the golf course.

“I’m always constantly checking [my blood sugar],” says Holm.

Holm, who plans to double major in psychology and criminal justice and says she would like to work for the FBI, has been no stranger to tough challenges since her diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes when she was 10.

These days, the athlete’s weekly schedule includes about 20 hours of golf, a daily commute from Auburn that takes about 40 minutes one-way, more than 30 insulin shots and a full-time academic workload.

Because of this intense schedule, Holm says her first semester at City College has been “tough, but manageable.”

Still, with support from her parents and self-determination to achieve her goals, Holm says she’s been able to balance her responsibilities well.

“Both of my parents are extremely influential [in my life],” says Holm. “They’re supportive and they want to see me succeed, but over the past couple years I’ve become more self-sufficient with the diabetes. So I don’t really need as much help from [my parents], but they still help me a lot.”

Holm attributes the beginnings of her love for golf to her father who began showing her the basics at a very young age.

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Such support from her family to overcome challenges in the game of golf is extremely important to Holm, she says, because the sport is so mentally tough and exhausting.

Although, like any challenge, frustrations are inevitable especially as the expectations get higher.

Teammate Lauren Dahl, business major, explained that getting frustrated while playing golf is a part of the sport, and with Holm, it’s no exception. Because of those challenges, Holm doesn’t let her diabetes get in the way of her goals, says Dahl.

“When Madi’s diabetes acts up, it does take a toll on her physically,” says Dahl. “However, I have never met someone who is able to mentally persevere as much as she does.”

According to Holm, though her first season at City College has been full of challenges, it has been a positive experience.

“Golf in itself is a sport where you become a better person through it,” she says. “It definitely takes you through ups and downs.”

Even with her hour- and-20- minute commute to and from City College, the double major, the constant struggle to do better on the green and her daily battle with her disorder, Holm has tried to remain resilient, she says.

“I chose golf because there are different challenges every single time,” Holm explains. “You’re not in a gym where the [setting is] the same—you’re outdoors and there are different factors that play into each time you go out there.”

Although Holm was accepted into every four-year college she applied for while in high school, she says she opted out of a purely academic college experience and decided to attend City College in hopes of earning a golf scholarship to one of the schools that originally accepted her.

“I’m still actively trying to better my game so I can get to a point where I can play golf and do my academics in college with at least some money, hopefully in two years,” says Holm.

“It’s hard, but it’s possible.”