More Than My Diagnosis: Allie

The angler fish. A deep sea dweller, a creature who battles against gruelling conditions and solitude. The depths of the ocean are pitch black, yet somehow, it finds its own light. That's the image 15-year-old Allie Strong chose to put on a New Zealand Fashion Week runway this August, and it wasn't really about the fish at all. 

Allie moved to New Zealand from the United States, and the garment she designed for Walk The Line 2026 was her way of putting that experience into something people could see. Out of your depth, in unfamiliar water, finding your own light anyway. She was one of 78 young designers selected nationwide from a record 108 entries, competing in the Avant-Garde category, and one of nine students chosen from Tauranga Girls' College. It was her first time on an NZFW runway, and she owned it. 

It's one of the things Allie is most proud of. Her family would describe her as caring, outgoing, and charismatic, and there's a version of that same courage running through how she talks about her diabetes too. 

She was diagnosed with type 1 around age 3. The early years were hard, some days she dreaded it altogether, but that's shifted a lot since then. "It's truly become a part of my life, and I show it with pride," she says. 

"I want the world to know that your diagnosis doesn't define you, and it shouldn't stop you from following your passions," Allie says. "I've learned to embrace it, and I hope others will as well." 

What she wants people to understand 

"Diabetes isn't something that should be feared," Allie says. There will be tough stretches, but there are also people who'll go out of their way to help. Her advice for anyone newly diagnosed: "It will always be scary at first, but eventually you will figure it all out, and until then, keep living your life as you want to." 

Looking ahead 

Living with type 1 diabetes isn't always easy, but Allie says the support of her family and friends gives her a sense of relief and belonging. "I hope my story allows others to connect and find hope along their journey with their own diagnosis." 

Connection with Diabetes New Zealand 

Allie's dad, David, is Diabetes New Zealand's Youth and Type 1 Coordinator for Bay of Plenty/ Lakes,which has meant growing up alongside Diabetes New Zealand events, and peers who understand exactly what she's going through. "I have made lots of connections through Diabetes New Zealand," she says, "and it has truly lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders with all of their support." 

Allie’s garment from Walk The Line 2026