Emma Cahill Turns Her Health Journey Into a Voice for Others

Whether she’s gliding across the ice, diving into the pool, or cheering on a teammate from the sidelines, Emma Cahill knows that a health challenge doesn’t have to stand in the way of being an athlete.

A Special Olympics New York athlete for 11 years, Emma participates in figure skating, swimming, equestrian and bocce. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 16, she has spent the past seven years learning how to manage the condition while maintaining an active lifestyle.

“I know it can be difficult to play sports with diabetes,” Emma said. “There can be some hard times, but it’s also very manageable.”

Now, as a Health Messenger, she wants to use those experiences to support other athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. She hopes to educate others about diabetes and new technology available to help manage the condition, while providing the kind of support that comes from someone who has experienced those challenges herself.

“I want to specifically work with adults and kids who have diabetes like me,” Emma explained. “I plan on holding discussion groups to teach athletes and their families about diabetes, including new technology that can help manage it, and coach them through the process.”

That desire to support other athletes extends beyond her work as a Health Messenger. Whether she’s competing herself or watching from the sidelines, she can often be found cheering on her teammates, celebrating their accomplishments and reminding them of what they’re capable of.

“I’ve seen my friends accomplish their goals or their specific routines, like in skating,” Emma said. “I’m always high-fiving them and praising them because it’s deep down in my heart. My heart melts when I see what my friends are doing out there.”

That same enthusiasm is something she hopes to bring to her new role as a Health Messenger. While she admitted she wasn’t completely confident when she began Health Messenger training, completing the program helped change her perspective.

“Honestly, going into the training, I felt I wasn’t ready, but now I am,” Emma recalled. “A lot of athletes just need the confidence to know they can be successful, and I want to encourage them to do that.”

She also hopes to challenge assumptions about what athletes with IDD can accomplish.

“Those people who think that people with IDD can’t do this, they are wrong,” Emma emphasized. “Absolutely they can, and I need to remind my friends of that.”

Special Olympics has given Emma a community where she has formed some of her closest friendships. After 11 years with the organization, those relationships have become just as meaningful to her as the opportunities to compete.

“I’ve made some of my closest friends through Special Olympics,” Emma said. “Special Olympics has

given me opportunities that I thought I would never get.”

Those experiences have strengthened her desire to advocate for the organization and introduce more people to the Special Olympics community. As both an Athlete Leader and Health Messenger, she hopes to show others that Special Olympics is about much more than athletic competition.

It’s a message that Jessica Dauvergne, Special Olympics New York’s Senior Director of Health Programs, reinforced during Emma’s Health Messenger training.

“Jessica always says to open a conversation about Special Olympics and make it louder,” Emma said. 

Emma has already taken that message beyond Special Olympics events. At the YMCA where she works, people often ask her about the organization, allowing her to share her experiences and encourage others to get involved.

She plans to expand that outreach through social media by creating a platform for Special Olympics Health Messengers to share workout videos, health tips, and lessons they have learned through the program.

Whether she’s sharing what she’s learned about health or cheering on a fellow athlete, Emma hopes to use her experiences to give others the same confidence she has developed through Special Olympics.

“I’m glad to be a Health Messenger because I want to advocate for other people with diabetes and teach them how to be an athlete and manage their diabetes at the same time, like I have,” Emma said.

 

 

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