From the outside, life on the dance floor can look like one big party. However, not everyone is blessed to let that make them forget about the more pressing matters. In these past few weeks, Olympic medalist Stephen Nedoroscik has been setting the stage on fire with his dance moves at Dancing With The Stars. Accompanying him with grace and enthusiasm, Rylee Arnold has been just as enticing. And yet, Arnold’s physical condition continues to cast its shadow behind all the glitz and glamor.

Penn State alum Stephen Nedoroscik shocked the fans when he opted to explore his newfound passion for dancing when all of his teammates joined Simone Biles on the road for the Gold Over America Tour after the Paris Games. However, with Rylee by his side, the gymnastics sensation kept things just as entertaining. But the professional dancer had to go above and beyond to keep up with the hectic demands of the popular show.

Stephen’s dancing partner sat down for an interview recently to talk about her journey with DWTS so far and diabetes affects almost every facet of her life. In the Spotify upload by Scrubbing In with Becca Tilley & Tanya Rad from November 8, Arnold shares how she has to feel the impacts of Type 1 diabetes every single day. Noting how the invasive disease forces her to be cautious all the time, Nedoroscik’s dancing guru stated, “It takes over my life. It is something that’s always on my mind.”

She went on to elaborate that diabetes is a side effect of autoimmune disease and that requires her to be highly aware of her blood sugar levels. “I have to be super aware of my blood sugar at all times. any time I eat food that has carbs in it I give myself a shot of insulin,” she revealed. Arnold then exclaimed why maintaining a proper diet and regimen is crucial: “I have to always be aware because my blood sugar goes too low, I could literally die.” To keep things under control, Rylee has to keep stabbing herself with needles throughout the day. “I have to do about I’d say 7 minimum shots (of insulin) every single day,” she said.

Nedoroscik’s bubbly dancing squire also stated that she needs to pay attention to higher blood sugar levels because they can have long-term implications in her life. Noting how high diabetes is a bane for anyone, Arnold said, “If my blood sugar goes too high, I feel yucky and just not good, and later in life, it can affect me poorly if I let my blood sugars get too high. It’s something I really have to take responsibility for.” Maybe it’s Rylee’s constant vigilance against her physical setback that makes her the perfect match for Stephen.

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold: A battle against all oddities

The pommel horse specialist has racked up quite a reputation for himself. Lending his skills to Team USA to win a medal in men’s gymnastics after 16 long years at the 33rd Olympic Games, Nedoroscik has become an overnight heartthrob for the country’s gymnastics fans and others. And yet, his radical decision to try out dancing instead of continuing the momentum with the second edition of the pop-styled gymnastics show Gold Over America Tour was met with astonishment from his followers. However, he’s been able to prove with gusto that the dancing floor isn’t a place that can make him uncomfortable. Instead, his groovy skills have been utterly enthralling. With that, Stephen Nedoroscik again showed that physical adversities can never define his life and achievements.

The gymnast’s eye condition has been subject to widespread discussion as to how much impacts his skills on the pommel horse. And yet, Nedoroscik hopes it’s that very thing that inspires others to take on life with virility as he continues to show the world that being determined to pursue goals always yields positive results. “A couple of mothers have reached out about their sons. One of them had strabismus, which is when your eyes are crossed, and you know they thought like, he couldn’t do sports. And he thought he couldn’t do sports. But sure enough, like after seeing me at the Olympics and seeing me on Dancing With the Stars you know, he started to tackle like football,” Stephen said recently about how he feels the glee to know he’s an inspiration to aspiring athletes.

So what would be your key takeaway from the life and struggles of Arnold and Nedoroscik? Tell us!