Managing Miles With Diabetes: Sofie Schunk’s Journey of Adaptation and Growth

When life hands you challenges, you can either let them define your limitations or use them as stepping stones to discover new paths. For Sofie Schunk, being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in high school became the unexpected catalyst that would transform her from a soccer goalkeeper into an Olympic Trials qualifier in marathon running. Throughout her running journey, Sofie has had to manage diabetes along with the miles and is now taking that same approach to coaching.

“I was not a runner by trade,” Schunk recalls of her early athletic days. Growing up in an active family, she participated in multiple sports – skiing, soccer, basketball, and swimming. Soccer emerged as her primary focus, leading to a Division 1 career as a goalkeeper at Marquette University.

Despite always loving fitness challenges and the weight room, the transition to running wasn’t immediate or planned. During her senior year at Marquette, Schunk joined a casual running group led by the university president, simply looking for something to fill the void once her soccer career ended. “I needed a new challenge,” she explains. “I loved the fact that it was a challenge and I was addicted to working hard and finding my potential.”

That challenge quickly turned into passion. While working on her graduate thesis, running became her daily anchor. “It literally got me out of bed in the morning,” Schunk says. “I knew I was meeting people at 6 am for a run. It was my structure when I didn’t know what was going to happen that day while writing my thesis, and all the mental health challenges that came along with it.”

Today, Schunk channels her experiences into coaching others through her business, Embrace the Grind Coaching. Her approach focuses on helping athletes balance their training with full-time jobs, families, and health conditions. “I want people who work full time, who have diabetes, who have other passions and interests, who have a family, who don’t think they can fit training in, but show them that you can, and still go after really tough goals”

“A lot of times it’s just reframing your mindset, finding a structure that works for you,” she shares. “It does not have to be high mileage. You just have to be consistent and resilient and still get out the door, whatever that looks like for you.”

Schunk’s impact extends beyond individual coaching. As Director of Performance for the Diabetes Sports Project, she helps people with Type 1 Diabetes pursue their athletic dreams while becoming advocates in their communities. “We’re a non-profit focused around getting people with diabetes active and pursuing their dreams,” she explains.

Looking ahead, Schunk plans to expand her influence by becoming a certified diabetes educator. “Growing up, the person who made the biggest difference in my diabetes management was my CDE,” she reflects. “They try to make the technology and types of insulins out there fit your lifestyle. And I think that is very similar to how I coach just my runners without diabetes.”

For athletes hitting plateaus or struggling to progress, Schunk offers refreshing advice: “Find something different. Too often we get in the mindset of ‘if I’m not running my normal long run of 10-plus miles on Sunday, I’m not good enough.’ Why not shorten that and try to run faster than you’ve ever run an eight-mile run?”

She emphasizes the importance of adaptation and patience, and things like adding in strength training to unlock a new level.  “You might not be running faster, but you feel different as a runner. The hard part is you have to recognize that it is a whole season… Like everything in life, the first week you’re really excited about it, you feel great, and then two or three weeks later you’re thinking, ‘This isn’t even helping.’ Really it’s that four to eight week space where everything seems to click.”

Schunk’s journey from soccer goalkeeper to marathon runner to coach exemplifies how embracing challenges and adapting to circumstances can lead to unexpected opportunities for growth. Her story reminds us that success in endurance sports isn’t just about the miles logged or times achieved. Endurance sports is about finding your own sustainable path forward. Look at how Sofie has managed the miles she is running, her diabetes, coaching, and an engineering career, and through ups and downs then figure out how you can create a sustainable path.