15: Deanna Paolantonio

After being diagnosed with T1D at 25 years old, Deanna had to figure out how to make it fit into her life of dance and fitness. She talks about finding a nurse who won’t hold her back, telling her coworkers about her T1D, and competing in a Tough Mudder race just months after diagnosis. Teaching Zumba provided her an outlet for comping with T1D, which informed her PhD research: she studies how dance can assist young girls with body image and self-esteem issues.