Jordy Kuiper wants to make a difference in the lives of others who have had their lives affected in the same way he has.
Kuiper does battle on the court as a freshman basketball player at UNCG, but he also battles Type 1 diabetes on a daily basis. At age 9, Kuiper had his blood sugar tested, just as a precaution, after being sick for an extended amount of time. His blood-sugar level was so high the machine could not properly measure it, leading to his diabetes diagnosis.
Since then, Kuiper has monitored everything he eats and drinks, constantly calculating the amount of carbohydrates and sugar he consumes in order to keep his blood sugar at a proper level. He also wears an insulin pump most of the time, taking it off only during practice and when he enters a game. Even then, he wears the pump on the bench and puts it back on during water breaks to make sure he has the insulin that he needs.
While some coaches may be hesitant to recruit a diabetic player, UNCG head coach Wes Miller knew Kuiper was a player that he wanted because of his attitude and the way he handled living with diabetes.
“It certainly impacted our feelings about him in a positive way, because we knew he had overcome some things in his life,” Miller said. “It said a lot about his character. That was what really drew us to Jordy.”
Kuiper was captain at the Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain, leading his team to the national title game. He practiced four times a day beginning at 6 a.m. during his time at CBA, doing so without an athletic training staff and causing him to regulate his blood sugar on his own.
The 6-9 forward caught Miller’s eye during a tournament in Rhode Island, sending Miller all the way to the Canary Islands in Spain to recruit Kuiper to UNCG. Now, Kuiper is working to make a difference on and off the court in Greensboro.
“In a short time, he’s impacted our culture with his work ethic, attitude and coachability,” Miller said. “I only think that is going to be greater as time goes on. I think he’ll impact us on the floor with his play and in the community with the type of person he is and the character that he has.”
Off the court, Kuiper wants to show kids with diabetes that they can still accomplish their goals while battling their disease. He is an ambassador for the Bas van de Goor Foundation in the Netherlands, sharing his story with others and encouraging them to chase their dreams. The Bas van de Goor Foundation organizes sports camps and gives presentations with the purpose of enhancing the quality of life for diabetics through sports.
“It means a lot to me,” Kuiper said. “When you have diabetes, a lot of children feel down and they don’t believe that they can actually do whatever they want to do in life. I feel like I’m sort of a living example, a role model, to them to show that if you are positive, you are disciplined and believe in yourself and your ability, that there isn’t anyone or anything that can stop you.”
For more information on Bas van de Goor Foundation, go to www.bvdgf.org.