From Doncaster to Paris, Stephanie’s our golden girl
When Stephanie Ratcliffe launched a hammer 73.11 metres last year, she eclipsed the Australian record set by Bronwyn Eagles in 2003 by almost two metres.
The young athlete from Melbourne celebrated the record-breaking achievement on the same day she graduated from Harvard University with a neuroscience degree.
Talented? Understatement.
At 23, Stephanie will fulfill a lifelong dream when she represents Australia in the hammer throw at the Paris Olympics this weekend.
It is the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, and managing the unique challenges posed by living with type 1 diabetes.
Diagnosed at age 6, Stephanie believes living with type 1 has made her a better athlete.
“Type 1 has so many lessons to teach us,” she says.
“I fully believe that it has built me into a better person and athlete because of it.”
Her advice for aspiring athletes living with type 1 is to treat diabetes as a friend.
“Try not to ignore it or hide it, it is part of us and something we should be proud to tell the world about as it has allowed us to become the people we are,” she says.
“Type 1 doesn’t have to stop you from anything.
“I know it can be frustrating and it does come with its challenges, but if you can learn how to manage it effectively it might end up being one of your biggest assets.”
While nutrition is important for every elite athlete, Stephanie also needs to consider her blood glucose levels.
“The biggest thing for me is trying to control those spikes in blood glucose from meals and adrenaline,” Stephanie says.
“Especially on comp days, when my body is all fired up, I need to try to stop them from dipping too low once they come down again.
“It has taken some practice and I’m still not perfect at it!
“Being organised, eating food I’m used to and being extra aware of my bloods with my CGM (this has been a game changer for me!) are all some things that have helped me.”
Stephanie is currently completing her Master of Business Administration at the University of Georgia.
Balancing her study, training and diabetes management requires meticulous organisation.
“I have had to get very good at making lists and prioritising,” she says.
“I always start with blocking out my classes and training times and then fit my meals, homework, studying, recovery, stretching and physio around these.
“It’s easy to forget about scheduling some down time, so no matter how busy I am I always try to fit something in my schedule that I enjoy and is there purely because I want to do it to help keep my cup full!”
When she completes her MBA, she hopes her career will combine business and neuroscience.
“I would love to work for a health-based company in a business role, alongside my athletics career once I complete my studies,” she says.
Stephanie’s parents, David and Monica Ratcliffe, have supported her journey since she joined the Doncaster Athletic Club at age 5.
“We understand being parents of a type 1 child can be challenging for both child and parents, but there are no boundaries with a positive attitude,” David says.
“Type 1 won’t stop you achieving your dreams!”
