Blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage—diabetes can lead to a slew of illnesses for the 25.8 million Americans afflicted with the disease. Still, as medical technology advances, more and more Americans aren’t simply living with diabetes—they’re thriving in spite of it. This includes professional athletes, many of whom are blasting out of the starting gates in full force. Forget not working out for fear of low blood sugar, these superstar athletes are setting Olympic swimming records, knocking out Mike Tyson, and posterizing shot-blocking NBA centers.