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Updated: January 13, 2023 @ 10:50 am
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union High School’s varsity girls basketball team, displays her insulin pump at Tuesday’s practice.
Eryn Ross takes a shot during Tuesday’s practice inside Holland Gymnasium. In her spare time, she said she enjoys reading, writing and listening to Taylor Swift songs.
With her Dexcom glucose monitor stuck to her thigh, Eryn Ross drives to the hoop.
Ross shoots as teammate Cadance James defends.
Eryn Ross defends while going one-on-one with teammate Cadance James.
Brattleboro Reformer Sports Editor
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union High School’s varsity girls basketball team, displays her insulin pump at Tuesday’s practice.
Eryn Ross takes a shot during Tuesday’s practice inside Holland Gymnasium. In her spare time, she said she enjoys reading, writing and listening to Taylor Swift songs.
With her Dexcom glucose monitor stuck to her thigh, Eryn Ross drives to the hoop.
Ross shoots as teammate Cadance James defends.
Eryn Ross defends while going one-on-one with teammate Cadance James.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, shoots the basketball during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Purchase local photos online.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, shows off a tattoo that says “I am greater than my highs and lows.”
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, shoots the basketball during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Purchase local photos online.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, shows off a tattoo that says “I am greater than my highs and lows.”
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Eryn Ross, a junior on the Bellows Falls Union Middle and High School’s Girls’ Basketball team with Type 1 diabetes, plays one-on-one with Cadance James during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
WESTMINSTER — When it comes to statistics, there’s only one that Bellows Falls varsity girls basketball player Eryn Ross really needs to pay attention to.
Her blood sugar average.
The junior captain, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was just 3, is almost always smiling despite the constant struggle of trying to keep her glucose readings in the 80-130 range.
“It’s definitely an added challenge. It’s a balancing act. I’m trying to play to the best of my ability while also trying to survive,” said Ross prior to Tuesday’s practice inside Holland Gymnasium.
The guard controls the tempo on the court and her blood sugar 24/7, doing her best to prevent serious complications down the road such as heart disease, stroke, blindness and kidney failure.
She uses a Dexcom monitor and an insulin pump, which work together to keep her blood sugar in a safe range. Exercise can drop her level too low, however, meaning she needs glucose in order to correct it.
“I like to have something substantial before each game, whether it’s a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, peanut butter crackers, or a granola bar,” she explained.
The three-sport athlete recalls a nightmare situation during her sophomore year.
“During a field hockey practice, I checked my blood sugar and it was 28. That’s the lowest ever. It was kind of scary,” Ross admitted. “I was over on the sideline chugging a juice box after that.”
She recalls her glucose reading being at the other end of the scale when she was 3.
“I remember feeling really nervous. I was always super thirsty. I was a pretty good kid, but I became super irritable and started throwing fits,” she mentioned. “I was taken to the ER and they immediately knew what it was.”
Ross went from finger sticks to test her blood and insulin injections to do the job that her pancreas couldn’t, to a monitor and pump. She sees a specialist once every three months at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and has also attended a camp for diabetics in New Durham, N.H.
“I try to eat healthy. I run in my free time,” the kindhearted and intelligent student-athlete pointed out, knowing that a good diet and frequent exercise are both helpful in the fight.
Along with playing field hockey and basketball, she also does track each spring. The 400, 4×4 relay, javelin and high jump are her events.
“I try to avoid the 800,” she said with a laugh.
Her blood sugar reading is truly the only statistic that matters in the big picture, but Ross has scored 40 points for the Terriers this season. She is also averaging 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest.
“Eryn brings a lot of leadership to the team,” noted first-year coach Dennis Fitzgerald. “She encourages the younger players and helps to motivate them. She is incredibly coachable and supportive of her teammates.”
Shane Covey can be reached at scovey@reformer.com or 802-254-2311 X163. On Twitter: @ShaneCovey.
Brattleboro Reformer Sports Editor
Shane Covey grew up in Brattleboro and has been the Brattleboro Reformer’s sports editor since 2008. He previously covered sports for the Athol Daily News.
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