Ball State University Athletics
Ball State Sports Link Package: Jennifer Miles (Swimming)
April 12, 2010 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Ball State Sports Link Package: Jennifer Miles (Swimming)
By Ryan Camden & Mike Stevens | Ball State Sports Link
MUNCIE, Ind. - Jennifer Miles (Fishers, Ind./North Central H.S.) discovered her passion for swimming at age five and has been swimming competitively ever since.
However, the opponent she faces out of the pool is much bigger.
Miles was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease, in high school. Now a freshman at Ball State, Miles is learning to juggle college life with her health and swimming career.
"It was really hard at first," Miles said. "I think it's making me a stronger person. I'm still learning from it every day and trying to get used to it. It's a lot of life-changing every day, nothing is the same."
Miles and her Ball State teammates faced the reality of the disease in March. The freshman student-athlete suffered her first diabetic coma and was unconscious for nearly 20 minutes.
"You do have to worry if her blood sugar levels drop below 70," says her mother, Deborah. "The lowest her levels have been is down to 30 and you can slip into a coma."
Throughout her freshman season in Muncie, her blood sugar levels at times would force her to stop practicing or from participating in meets.
"All of the girls on the team have been really understanding," Miles said. "They are always helping me and making sure I am ok during practice."
Miles, who is majoring in elementary education, was a four-time all-American in high school. She completed her freshman campaign for the Cardinals this spring.
Students in the BSU News 485 class also teamed with Sports Link for an interactive web site on Miles and women's basketball student-athlete Kyleigh Jones. Visit the site here: http://sncope.iweb.bsu.edu/485_middle/index.html
About Ball State Sports Link:Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs.
The program is the first in the nation where students are totally immersed in sports and electronic media. For more information about Sports Link, visit www.bsusportslink.com or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ballstatesportslink
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