Deion Sanders’ Daughter Shelomi Recalls Being ‘Insecure’ About Her Type 1 Diabetes: ‘It’s Not a Burden’ (Exclusive)

"I kind of wish I had more of an open mind when I first got diagnosed,” the 20-year-old tells PEOPLE

It took years for Shelomi Sanders to understand that her diabetes is “not a burden.”

The youngest daughter of Hall of Fame football star and former Major League Baseball player Deion Sanders recently spoke to PEOPLE in honor of November’s National Diabetes Awareness Month. She opened up about navigating her basketball career with diabetes and using her platform to help others.

Shelomi, a junior at Alabama A&M University, was 13 when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which means her body creates very little or no insulin, requiring medication.

“I was dropping a whole bunch of weight and I just knew there was just something off,” she recalls.

Signs of type 1 diabetes in children tend to develop quickly, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms include weight loss, extreme hunger, increased thirst and frequent urination, fatigue, and behavior changes.

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Once she received her diagnosis, Shelomi, now 20, admits that she was immediately overwhelmed and a little embarrassed while adjusting to her new norm.

“Being that young and getting diagnosed, it was pretty tough just because I didn't expect to take on that much responsibility at a young age. I was just very insecure,” she explains. “I would hide my devices, I would go to the bathroom to take my injections, all of that.” 

“But that's definitely changed over the years,” she adds. “I was really in denial and very insecure about it for so long. So one day I just made a video explaining my devices and what I've been through and I've gotten so much love since then. I kind of wish I had more of an open mind when I first got diagnosed.”

Shelomi — a guard on A&M’s women’s basketball team — says her really strong support system has played a significant role in helping manage her health. She uses Dexcom, a wearable glucose monitoring system that is linked to an app, and shares her levels with not only her parents but her coaching staff to make sure she’s able to do what she loves and compete at the collegiate level.

“I share my levels with my trainer, too. I just give her one look or she gives me one look and it’s like, okay yeah, my blood’s either high or low,” she says. “They always make sure I have everything I need. The coaches, managers and everyone, they make sure I have water and a Gatorade just in case my blood goes low during practice. It just makes everything much easier.”

Related: John Legend Says Facing Son Miles' Diabetes Diagnosis Made Him and Chrissy Teigen 'Stronger': We 'Are a Team' (Exclusive)

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Shelomi says her teammates often get involved and ask questions about her diabetes, which she says is “kinda funny but really good to know they care.” She admits that she loves being able to have those teaching moments because growing up, she was always on the receiving end of “slick comments” from people who believed the many misconceptions about what diabetes is and her capabilities.

Whenever she gets frustrated navigating her diabetes while training or on a day-to-day basis, Shelomi says she thinks about everyone in her corner.

“I just remember there's other people like me out there going through this right now. They're not giving up so I'm not going to give up. I have some peers and younger kids who look up to me as a type 1 diabetic so I got to keep on going,” she says. “I have a motto I always say: ‘The sun will rise.’ So at the end of the day, the sun's going to rise and we gotta keep on pushing.”

Related: 'Teen Mom' 's Mackenzie McKee Running NYC Marathon to Prove She 'Can Do Anything' with Type 1 Diabetes

The college student built that community of people who look up to her through Dexcom U and its NIL Ambassador program, where she mentors other young athletes with diabetes.

“I used to be so closed off. So just being able to relate to people on that type of level and to share stories and a laugh…everything about it, it’s just amazing,” she says.

“I know we teach them things, but the mentees have really taught me things at the same time,” she boasts. “Just how they carry themselves. Like, ‘Yeah, I am a diabetic and so what? This does not stop me. This does not define me.’ That was really big for me.”

Shelomi tells PEOPLE that although it took many years, she’s learned that “it’s not a burden” living with type 1 diabetes and she wants others to have the same mindset.

“This is who you are. This is a part of you. Embrace it,” she says. “I never thought that I would be in a place where I am able to work with Dexcom raising awareness. I would've never dreamed of this. So it's just really a blessing.”