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It's in their blood

By David La Vaque, Star Tribune, 02/09/11, 10:12PM CST

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Sisters Tiana and Lexi Press won’t let their diabetes define them


Benilde-St. Margaret's goaltender Tiana Press, right, and her younger sister Alexi, a defenseman, both have diabetes. Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune

In his dual role as hockey coach and learning specialist at Benilde-St. Margaret's, Dave Herbst sees senior Tiana Press' daily battles with dyslexia and diabetes.

Reading can take twice as long because dyslexia, a learning disability, causes Press to mix up or skip over words. And Press, a goaltender for the successful Red Knights program, has her energy sapped at times by Type-I diabetes.

But an observer hardly would know it by her college plans. This fall, Press will play hockey at Harvard.

"She's the most dedicated kid I've seen," Herbst said.

Press has competition for that title at home. Lexi, Tiana's younger sister and a sophomore defenseman for the Red Knights, is also a Type-I diabetic. Lexi was diagnosed with the disease first, about eight months before her older sister. Helping each other through the adversity strengthened their bond and their resolve.

"We definitely push each other," Tiana said. "We don't let ourselves quit. So many diabetics nowadays don't play sports because it can be so tough to handle. We want to be different. We want to do what we love and not let the disease take over our lives."

Lexi, a diabetic since sixth grade, still plays soccer and hockey and has seen regular shifts in all 24 games this season. And Tiana, a diabetic since her freshman year, is enjoying a strong senior season. She is 16-2-1 with a 1.24 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. And she is one of 10 finalists for the "Let's Play Hockey" Senior Goaltender of the Year award.

The sisters will play big roles as the third-ranked Red Knights (21-2-1) begin Class 2A, Section 6 tournament play at 6:45 p.m. Saturday against North Metro at Parade Ice Garden.

Both players must be diligent with their management of diabetes during practices and games. When Lexi feels her legs get heavy or "shaky," she can test herself on the bench between shifts and drink a juice box if necessary. Stuck in the net for entire 17-minute periods, Tiana takes measured pulls of sports drink to combat heavy legs or a slow glove hand and later tests herself at intermission.

Diagnosed after two months of unexplained weight loss, Lexi struggled to fit the disease into the social rigors of middle school. Embarrassed, she would administer blood sugar checks or insulin shots in private, pricking her finger or injecting needles in the bathroom.

To gain an understanding of diabetes, Tiana attended all of her younger sister's classes. The education would hit home months later as Tiana, who also started experiencing weight loss, was diagnosed. Tiana's first mission was to get Lexi out of hiding, performing blood sugar tests in front of Lexi in public to show her it was acceptable.

"I promised myself that I would use being a diabetic as a learning experience for her and help her through it," Tiana said. "Now, her diabetes doesn't faze her. Most people don't even know she has it."

Tiana also teaches others in the classroom. Despite dyslexia, she serves as a math tutor for elementary students and classmates – even teammates after practice.

"It is really rewarding to help a kid find a way to understand, because I never thought I'd be able to tutor kids," Tiana said.

Tiana looks for teaching opportunities on the ice as well – mostly at her sister's expense. The mental toughness that keeps the girls playing hockey in spite of diabetes also comes through in their competitiveness.

"If she lets someone get around her and they score, she won't hear the end of it," Tiana said. "But if she makes a good play and a bad shot goes in, I definitely won't hear the end of it. We're pretty tough on each other, but it's fun to have her with me."

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