When participating in most athletic activities, having endurance is very important in order to have success in your sport. This would make a condition that heavily impacts your energy and causes fatigue very detrimental to your ability to succeed. Senior Logan Sullivan is not only having to fight this battle when he steps on track, it has been a war in his life for the past five years.
The Diagnosis:
When Sullivan was thirteen years old, he was living his life no differently than anyone else, enjoying spending time with friends and family and participating in athletics. Then an extremely unexpected change came along. Sullivan found himself becoming increasingly tired throughout day-to-day activities and was feeling a sense of lightheadedness constantly.
This led Sullivan and his family to the doctor where he was diagnosed with type one diabetes. As a young teen, Sullivan was unaware of the severity and risks that diabetes presented but later realized how important it was to stay on top of his diabetes.
Sports Journey:
Throughout Sullivan’s childhood, he towered over everyone else. Currently standing at six feet and four inches tall, Sullivan is among the tallest people you will find in the halls of Hopkinton High, that being if you steer clear of principal Evan Bishop.
With this gift of height, to no surprise, Sullivan was able to dominate on the basketball court starting from a young age, having the height advantage in any matchup he would encounter. But when Sullivan was diagnosed with diabetes, he struggled to maintain a constant weight, therefore not filling out his daunting frame.
Sullivan still enjoys playing basketball but discovered a newfound joy in the high jump event on the track and field team.

Leaping for the Top:
Throughout Sullivan’s time on the track and field team, he has made massive strides in his craft. Sullivan is currently one of the top high jumpers in the state of Massachusetts and has competed at the national level twice throughout high school, having impressive performances in both of his appearances to date.
On top of these individual accomplishments, Sullivan has been a captain of both the track and cross country teams, something that has not gone unnoticed by fellow teammates.
“Having Logan as a teammate was great for everyone. His positive mindset and attitude helped the team a lot,” teammate and fellow senior Ray Collins stated.
Sullivan has gone above and beyond as a mentor and motivator of teammates his age and younger athletes looking to someday match many of the records that he holds in Hopkinton.
“Logan is great at keeping the team together and helping younger athletes who may not know what they are doing,” Collins stated.
The Weight and Impact of Diabetes:
Despite not originally understanding the weight that his diabetes would have on his shoulders, Sullivan has been forced to grow into a great understanding of what has changed with his condition. “I now have to carry my PDM with me. I have to be conscious of my blood sugar if I’m gonna be high or low, so I have to moderate my Dexcom, and I have to eat snacks more often if I’m low, and I have to give insulin if I’m high” Sullivan stated. The understanding of his devices has led Sullivan to become more responsible and accountable in his life. “I have had to learn to become more careful and more organized with my belongings. Knowing that if I forget my PDM my life could be in danger is something that I have to deal with every day and it is scary quite frankly. That being said it has also helped me in certain aspects of my life, which I was not necessarily expecting” Sullivan mentioned. When it comes to track and field, Sullivan has to be aware of his diabetes and be worried about pushing himself past his limits. “When I’m low, I can’t really function at my highest physical ability. I become very tired and fatigued. So I have to wait, I have to eat food and wait till I go a little higher up to compete. So that could be a challenge sometimes.” Sullivan stated. Despite these challenges, as previously mentioned, Sullivan is an extremely decorated athlete and diabetes has seemingly not slowed him down much. This does not just happen naturally unfortunately and causes Sullivan to train at a very high level. “Just staying consistent with my training and watching my diabetes levels, making sure I don’t go too high or too low, staying on top of everything just helps” Sullivan mentioned.

The Coaches Eye:
In Sullivan’s high school journey and track journey, there has been someone with him through it all. Coach Prescott has been watching Logan from up close and from afar and has been able to see Logan grow throughout his four years in high school. “Logan is an incredibly positive person and his personality has a significant impact on his teammates. Track and field can be very individualistic, and someone with Logan’s talents could easily get lost in his own goals. However, Logan connects with everyone else on the team and draws people in rather than excluding others. Logan is a vocal leader with his support for anyone else that is competing or practicing. He also leads by example through his work ethic and sportsmanship. So many athletes from other towns have expressed immense admiration for Logan because of the respect he gives to every competitor. His attitude and disposition truly represent the values of Hopkinton High School” Prescott said. Prescott was able to pinpoint a specific moment from Sullivan that represents him perfectly. “Logan has so many great moments as an athlete on this team. Last Spring, he broke the outdoor high jump school record and finished 11th in the state at that event. However, my favorite memory of him was during last year’s indoor track and field season. In the third meet of the season against Medfield, the boys high jump was the last event taking place during the competition. Logan was competing against another athlete from Medfield and the winner of that event would determine which school won the whole meet. The entire audience was focused on the high jump, and it was a very intense scene. Not only did Logan win the event, but he jumped 6′ 4″ and achieved a new personal best at that time. It was an unbelievable display of calm in a moment of pressure. Logan handled the weight of the team on his shoulders and performed better than he’d ever done. I am so happy with all that he has accomplished for the team and himself. I can’t wait to see what this year brings for him.”
Advice to Others:
Despite having to deal with diabetes, Sullivan does not shy away from helping others throughout his highs and lows. Sullivan frequently gives advice to his teammates when competing and also shares his experiences with other teammates who are also dealing with diabetes. “The best thing you can do is just not let it affect you mentally, and you’ll be you’ll be good. Just don’t let it get to your head” Sullivan stated.