Moon Township, Pa. – Whether it was playing hockey against the boys of Canada or competing as a member of the
Robert Morris University women's team or currently navigating through an academic career that is otherworldly,
Anissa Gamble always sends a clear message:
She has diabetes ... diabetes does not have her.
"You have to push yourself, no matter what," said Gamble, a four-year member of the RMU hockey team who earned a degree in biology with a concentration in premed from 2012-16. "That's the way I was taught."
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 8, Gamble has made it her mission to combat an affliction that affects 415 million adults worldwide. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in experimental surgery at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, a hub for diabetes research.
She is also preparing to embark on a grueling, seven-day hiking trip in her native Canada to raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes, which affects 41 million people. The journey along the North Coast Trail in Cape Scott Provincial Park will commence in August.
"I needed a new physical challenge once I got done playing at Robert Morris," Gamble said, laughing. "I had to keep going."
The fundraising mission is operated by
Connected in Motion, a charitable group that provides support, adventure and programming for people living with diabetes.
Gamble aspires to raise $2,500 for the hike. She encourages interested parties to go to the
following website to learn more about Type 1 diabetes and to contribute.
She said she is already humbled by the outpouring of support.
"It means so much to so many," said Gamble, who will team with 13 other diabetics on the 49-mile trek along the Northwest Coast of Vancouver Island. "This is so important because it allows us to show that Type 1 diabetics can challenge and push themselves beyond the limits. It's going to be challenging because of the terrain, which is woody and on the ocean. We'll be going 7-9 miles a day. Hopefully, I'll do OK."
Any concerns?
"Backpacking as a diabetic is scary and it can be dangerous," she said. "You can go hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) or hypoglycemic (low blood sugar). But it's another way to promote and to raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes."
Gamble has been an unrelenting go-getter since her youth. She learned to self-administer insulin shots and blood tests -- often inserting needles in her body nine times a day -- soon after her diagnosis.
She never griped. Never complained.
She persevered.
That explains why she was able to play hockey at the Division I level. It also explains why she expertly balanced athletics and academics at RMU, earning numerous honors and graduating summa cum laude.
"Robert Morris allowed me to challenge myself," she said. "It put me on the path I'm currently following."
Gamble is preparing to go to medical school next fall, but, true to her dogged determination, she has other options. One is dental school, given she recently took the dentistry exam.
"Figured that would be my backup plan," said the affable Gamble, who also found time to minor in chemistry at RMU. "I just hope I'm ready, because once med school starts, it will be like trying to drink out of fire hydrant."
At the University of Alberta, Gamble is part of a team that performs islet cell transplantation. This is when cells are taken from a donor pancreas and transferred into diabetic patient. Once implanted, the new islets begin to respond to glucose and release insulin.
Researchers such as Gamble hope this procedure will help people with Type 1 diabetes live without daily injections of insulin.
In fact, she is so dedicated to the cause that she spends 8-12 hours a day doing lab research.
"If I can help others who are going through this, that means everything to me," Gamble said.
When asked what non-diabetics may not know about the disease, Gamble paused, before sharing a stimulating thought.
"One of the big struggles is that it's an internal disease," she said. "People can't see it from the outside. So, someone can be in a hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic state and feel crummy, but the general public would have no idea. There are a lot of complications, for sure. The life expectancy for diabetics is 13 years less than those who don't have it. Side effects can include adult blindness, kidney failure, neuropathy that leads to limb amputation... there are a lot of adverse effects."
Yet, despite the concerns, Gamble has elegantly become a beacon and inspiration for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.
"I've been lucky to experience so many great things in my life," she said. "I think about playing hockey, and how it's played a huge role since I was 4. When I was diagnosed, hockey motivated me to regulate my diabetes. Because I knew that if I didn't regulate it, I wouldn't be able to play good hockey.
"So, yes, there are challenges. But not enough to stop us from reaching our goals."
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