Staring out at the tennis courts, BYU tennis player Chelsea Bluestein traced the scar on her knee.
“This is going to make me better," she said. "Like all my injuries have made me better."
A few months earlier, Bluestein suffered an injury to her ACL, meniscus and labrum, which forced her to sit out for an extended period of time. But she’s no stranger to adversity. Throughout her career, injuries have repeatedly pulled her away from the sport she loves.
Bluestein comes from a tennis family: her mother and father played tennis at Virginia Tech and Northern Kentucky, respectively, and her uncle also played college tennis at Clemson. On the clay courts as a kid, her uncle sometimes had to get creative.
“He did have to bribe me to stop drawing in the clay,” Bluestein said. “‘I’ll take you to Toys R Us if you try,’ and I was like, perfect!”
She began taking tennis seriously at age 11 when she enrolled at an academy. But a year later, Bluestein was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes — a life-changing moment that forced her to rethink the way she approached tennis and day-to-day life.
Diabetes can make athletes more susceptible to injury and can make recovery more difficult, adding another layer to the challenges she faced on the court.
Bluestein’s father, Jeff Bluestein, recalled trying to learn as much as he could about Type 1 diabetes following her diagnosis.
“It’s more of an art than a science,” he said. “And everyone is different.”
For Jeff, the early stages were frustrating as he learned how best to help his daughter, but he says Bluestein has always had a good attitude about it.
“She’s always handled it better than us,” Jeff said. “Every once in a while, she’ll say, ‘Why me?’ but not often. Most of the time she just says, ‘Everybody has their challenges — this is mine.’”
Through the years, her injuries began to pile up, wiping out her junior year, an important year for college recruiting. But her senior year brought health.
“The first time I got recruited was the summer before my senior year,” Bluestein said. “And I started doing better in tournaments because I was healthy.”
Despite her setbacks, Bluestein finished her high school career as a five-star recruit and No. 18 overall in the class of 2023.
Once she was healthy, opportunities began to open. While competing in her senior year, her opponent’s mother, Tracey Maltby, noticed her Dexcom on her arm. She approached Bluestein and told her about the Novo Nordisk Scholarship for athletes with diabetes.
Bluestein hesitated — she already had a full ride — until Maltby added that she would get to go to the U.S. Open with Billie Jean King.
King, a tennis legend and pioneer for gender equality who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2007, established the Novo Nordisk Scholarship in 1998 to honor high-achieving student-athletes with diabetes. King was inspired to establish the award after watching her two sisters excel in college tennis while living with Type 1 diabetes.
After applying, Bluestein won, leading to one of her favorite memories: attending the U.S. Open and learning firsthand from King’s experiences overcoming adversity.
“It was insane to meet Billie Jean King and then for her to talk about her experiences,” Bluestein said. “It was super inspiring.”
The experience didn’t change the reality of living with diabetes, but it showed her she wasn’t alone.
She began her collegiate career at Iowa, but once again, injuries interrupted her momentum. Her first season was cut short due to an ankle injury that needed surgery.
“I played seven matches in total for Iowa. So that was one of the reasons it was so hard for me — I went there for tennis. So, it was really hard not being able to play,” Bluestein said. “I can't be in a place where if I can't play, then I'm kind of lost.”
She decided to transfer, and she found herself on a recruiting visit to BYU. On her visit, she made candles and rode the ski lifts at Sundance Resort — a visit she recalls as more family than business.
Bluestein still keeps her candle today as a memory. She left impressed with head coach Holly Hasler, who she felt fostered a close-knit team culture.
Bluestein’s father was also impressed with the recruiting efforts of Hasler. A former college coach himself and a self-described “ridiculous recruiter,” he appreciated the effort Hasler put into connecting with his daughter.
“I was impressed with her recruiting,” Jeff said. “She put the effort in.”
Following her visit, Bluestein committed to BYU, a decision she is very happy with.
Even though Bluestein is sidelined right now, she still feels purpose in a way she hasn’t always felt with past injuries. She tries to do what she can to lift her teammates, however she can.
“She's been really good at thinking about others,” Hasler said. “She really shows up every day with a smile on her face, even though I know deep down she doesn't always feel like she wants to show up with a smile, she still does. She's been super supportive of the other girls in their tournaments on the group chat, watching the livestream when we're on the road somewhere, saying, ‘Go Cougs, good luck today.’”
Hasler said she’s loved seeing Bluestein’s growth since she’s been at BYU. On and off the court, Hasler noted her bright spirit and her determination to grow and learn from her challenges.
“My job is to help her recognize all the good that is still coming from these trials and these setbacks,” Hasler said.
Bluestein admits it can be hard to watch her teammates compete while she’s only able to bring homework to practice.
“It’s hard to feel like you’re part of the team,” Bluestein said. “I just try to be there for everyone.”
Even amid uncertainty, Bluestein focuses on what she can control. Sometimes, she wonders what life would be like without diabetes and the injuries that shaped her path.
But she always returns to the same conclusion: they led her to where she is now — and she’s happy with where she is. Each setback reminds her that there is more to life than tennis, and leaning on her support system has helped her return to the court with a deeper appreciation for the game every time. She says she’s always a better version of herself on the other side of adversity.
Over time, she’s learned that her worth isn’t only tied to competition.
“I had a really hard time letting the diabetes define me,” Bluestein said. “But now it's just something that I play with. Tennis is just something I do; it's not who I am. There have been a lot of tears, but I mean, I have my family, I have my friends and I just try to hold on to those things, and it really helps. There's more to life than tennis.”
Every comeback has started the same way: with her standing on the sidelines, waiting, learning and letting time do its work. She’s there again now, but she isn’t discouraged.
The scars don’t just mark what she’s been through — they mark who she’s become. When she eventually steps back onto the court, she knows she won’t be the same player she was before. She’ll be better.
Bluestein hopes the challenges she’s faced can help inspire kids growing up with diabetes.
“Just keep going and believing in yourself,” Bluestein said. “Don't let your circumstances define you.”