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hayley wickenheiser brings her skills from the er—and the rink—to coach her dad with diabetes
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hayley wickenheiser is the assistant general manager of toronto maple leafs and an er doctor, while making time for committed workouts, including running, cycling, weight training and plyometrics—like a “hockey player crossfitter.”
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hayley wickenheiser, one of the greatest hockey players in the sport, says her dad supported her early interest on the ice. he was her first coach back in the small community of shaunavon, saskatchewan where he and his wife were school teachers, curlers and active in volunteering. it must have been a great start for the five year old who went on to become the first female to play in professional men’s hockey in a position other than goalie, and to win four olympic gold medals in women’s hockey for canada (among other triumphs).
“he was a real believer in the fundamentals. he was not a crazy hockey parent per se. he was very much, just play all the sports, do all the things,” hayley recalls of her childhood. “but as a coach, he really preached if you’re going to be good, you’ve got to do the fundamentals over and over again. i remember as a kid we had these drills called fundamentals in action. so it was like, go to the blue line, stop, crossover. it was all these drills and we had to do those every day. and then as soon as those were done, we could just play and be creative and have fun.”
now hayley still has the work ethic of two powerhouse people, balancing two full-time jobs. she’s the toronto maple leafs assistant general manager and an er doctor, while making time for committed workouts, including running, cycling, weight training and plyometrics—like a “hockey player crossfitter.”
she says she loves the adrenaline of emergency medicine and the team approach to investigating people’s symptoms when literal seconds count. “honestly, it’s like hockey. it’s a team sport, fast paced, i rarely sit down and most of the night you make decisions quick under pressure.”
hayley’s aging parents are a plane ride away
but here’s the real challenge: hayley, 47, is based in toronto while her aging parents are in calgary, a plane ride away. her dad is 78, coping with the demands of type 2 diabetes and keeping his blood sugar in line. he was diagnosed about 15 years ago and has had to adjust his lifestyle to some extent.
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although she’s living at a distance, hayley says she’s like a coach for her dad and his health, coming full circle in a way that’s close to her heart.
“he was always a fairly active, healthy person. he quit smoking before i was born. he didn’t drink heavy alcohol when i was growing up. but i think when he was diagnosed, it was a bit of a wakeup call to look at the diet and increase exercise because the understanding was this could be a a long-term chronic condition.” as a doctor, she’s well aware that diabetes can lead to several serious complications, including heart disease, kidney damage, nerve damage and eye problems. as well, most men are resistant to want to make changes when they’re older.
“my dad loved ice cream, but he had to stop eating ice cream all the time, so just little changes,” she says, adding he has an excellent family doctor that he sees for regular appointments for blood work and blood pressure monitoring.
coach for diabetes management
having an elite athlete and physician like hayley in your corner is also an advantage. she’s often checking in with him and her mom (who also likes to make sure he’s on top of things) to encourage him to do regular weight training and movement. hayley also helped introduce him to the freestyle libre 3 plus continuous glucose monitor, manufactured by abbott. the libre 3 plus is a wearable sensor that delivers blood sugar readings to your smartphone. she wasn’t sure he’d be open to the technology but he’s doing well and finds it easy to use. he’ll text her with updates on his sugars to keep her in the know.
“he’s been very well controlled really since day one because he was willing to make those lifestyle changes. now we’re at the point where diet and a small amount of medication and knowledge keep him under control, which is good,” she says, adding the feedback devices have helped him take ownership over his blood sugar.
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“with aging parents, you’re like, ok, that’s better, that’s good. i don’t have to worry as much.”
making diet, exercise and technology work for blood sugar control
so, he’s not a difficult person to coach. “usually when i tell him he has to do something, he does it,” she laughs.
hayley, like many with older parents at a distance, is more conscious about making time to visit them. she still has her first house in calgary right next door. her other family members are all out west, so she might consider moving back down the road.
“when i was younger, i didn’t think like that. for people my age, this shift starts to happen where you realize your parents aren’t going to live forever. and you know, if things were to happen, what would i do? long-term care? how are we going to take care of our aging parents? i think about that a lot. fortunately, we’ve talked about it pretty openly.”
for now, she makes a point to coach her dad on his health. they’ve always bonded over hockey, so when he asks her about the leafs, she gives him the latest updates. she’s not only a next-level athlete and dedicated physician, she’s a great daughter to have.
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