David “Lil Dave” Strickland Turns Health Around and Returns to Special Olympics Competition

Our Healthy Athlete spotlight shines on longtime Bowling Green athlete, David “Lil Dave” Sexton. Dave has been representing Special Olympics Kentucky for 20+ years, playing soccer, softball, basketball and flag football. This includes a 2018 appearance at Special Olympics USA games in Seattle Washington where his team came home with a 5-1 flag football record to accompany their bronze medal.

Unfortunately, in 2016 he was diagnosed with fatty liver disease which he attributes to his “extremely poor” eating habits. Over time this disease progressed to near stage 3 while also causing him to develop an enlarged spleen due to the liver not being able to filter the toxins within his body. His cholesterol was off the charts to where his doctor said, “I don’t understand how you are not having a stroke”. He was diagnosed with diabetes and had to take regular insulin. With all of his medical conditions he hasn’t been able to participate in any sports for over a year and has been forbidden by his doctor to play any contact sports due to a fear of rupturing his enlarged spleen. Are you ready for the silver lining?

In Lil Dave’s most recent visits to his doctors/ specialists, his test results have made a complete 180! “My primary care physician almost fell out of his seat!”. When Dave’s liver enzyme results returned, it showed that he was down to baseline stage 2! His A1C levels have also dropped to a level of 5.2% and his doctors have instructed him that he no longer needs to take insulin (“Still monitor for safety”). Although still higher than he would like, his cholesterol is back to a manageable level and he claims to be working diligently to get this into “normal range”.

When asked: What made you want to become a healthier version of yourself? Lil Dave responded, “The doctor told me if I didn’t take care of my liver, I will not live very long. At my age it is very hard to find a new liver.” “I now want to increase my quality of life and be there for my Bowling Green teammates.”

When speaking with Dave about how he was able to reverse his disease trajectory, his answers summed up are very simple. He began to research nutrition and really tried to understand what he was putting into his body. He pinpointed Okra as a superfood that he really enjoys and claimed that it helped to restore his liver. He minimizes his sitting time and tries to consistently walk. He was even walking around his house as we conducted the interview via zoom. Finally, he recognizes the importance of proper hydration, claiming to only drink water. He said at minimum, he consumes 2 quarts per day (64 fl oz. or ½ gallon). “Making my water with lemon is the first thing I do every morning.”

Lil Dave later goes on to praise the SOKY Train4Life program, claiming that it has given him the opportunity to a high-quality fitness facility with a great coach (Trey Waltermire of D1 Fitness), a great support system, and an opportunity to learn “a lot” from the zoom nutrition calls! “I knew that exercise was important, but when Train4Life came about, my results started to increase rapidly. Since the start of cycle 1, Lil Dave is down over 15 pounds while increasing all of his fitness metrics! He is a true leader in this group!

When asked what advice he would give to his fellow athletes and coaches who wanted to become healthier, he responded: “Research, set goals and make a plan”. After a very long break from competition and 5+ years of truly battling with his health, we are super excited to say, Lil Dave has qualified to compete at SOKY’s State Summer Games in the 100-meter walk, 100-meter run and the 4×100-meter relay! He also intends to bowl this upcoming season. When asked if he had any final words for us, he replied: “If you can get into SOKY’s fitness programs, it is a wonderful thing! Talk to your doctors, make a plan to get healthy and do the sports you love”!