Rylee Arnold Talks ‘DWTS’ & Type 1 Diabetes Battle (EXCLUSIVE)

Rylee Arnold, sister of professional dancer Lindsey Arnold, stole people's hearts when she first appeared on Dancing with the Stars back in 2023 after a very successful run on the spinoff show, Dancing with the Stars Junior. And now,  the 20-year-old ballroom dancer is opening up to Woman’s World about that experience, including the never-before-heard details surrounding her finale dance with Stephen Nedoroscik, as well as a much-needed update on her battle with type 1 diabetes.  To discover what she has to say, scroll on. 

Rylee Arnold talks about her time on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Growing up in Utah, Arnold was consistently around the dance world. Not only was her older sister, Lindsey, a Dancing with the Stars pro, but Arnold was also one of the main cast members on the spinoff show Dancing with the Stars Junior, which helped her become a pro just like her sister. This journey, she says, helped her grow so much as a person and a dancer. 

“I realized that I can do hard things. I have type 1 diabetes. I can manage that and make it to the finale of Dancing with the Stars at the same time,” she told Woman’s World. “It's a hard job, and it's hard to manage your time and to manage your wellness, but I did all of that and I did it successfully, which I felt good about. I felt like I was prioritizing myself and my job at the same time.” 

With doing all of that, though, comes burnout and exhaustion, something that Arnold says she does her very best to avoid. 

“Yeah, it can definitely be hard not to get burned out, because it is what I do and it has become my job,” Arnold said. “I just think back to when I was younger, how much I wanted to be in this position. I appreciate the fact that I get to do something I love every single day, and I get paid to do it. I really find gratitude in that. And if I were 12-year-old Rylee, I can't imagine how excited and happy she'd be.” 

Rylee Arnold spills on her relationship with Stephen Nedoroscik

In Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars, Arnold was paired with Nedoroscik, a 26-year-old Olympic gymnast who went viral at the 2024 Games for his pommel horse skills, Clark Kent-style glasses and love for his Rubik's Cube. Fans of the show were quick to fall in love with the pairing, and the two soon found themselves in the finals, where Arnold choreographed a dance set to the tune of “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay, which featured Nedoroscik’s teammates and his gymnastic skills. 

“Honestly, what was going through my mind that night was that I was just so proud of what we had created that week. I was just so grateful to be there in the finale, because I had never made a finale before. I'd always dreamt of being in a finale and creating a dance, so I felt so grateful and just excited to do it,” Arnold recalled.

“I wasn't really nervous, to be honest, because I felt well-prepared. Stephen and I knew exactly what we needed to do just to perform our very best. We were both excited to do our final dance, and we prepared really well. And gratitude was the main thing that I was feeling.” 

Arnold and Nedoroscik ended up coming in fourth place; however, the dancer is expected to return for the upcoming season, where she will hopefully take home the gold. 

Rylee Arnold opens up about her type 1 diabetes and self-care routine 

Along with her time on Dancing with the Stars, Arnold has spoken a lot about her battle with type 1 diabetes, a condition that makes it hard for the body to make insulin. 

“It's a hard diagnosis and it takes a lot of time and just thinking out of your life, but I think it's made me stronger and more mature. I'm able to handle conflict and hard things in my life better, because I go through the management and just the hard things that come with type one diabetes,” Arnold said.  “So overall, it just made me a stronger person and able to get over adversity and all of that. But I also think it brings me so much motivation every day, because I want to be an inspiration to others. I want to be an inspiration to young people or anyone with type of diabetes, so if it really gives me that motivation every day that I'm doing it for them and not just for myself.” 

One of the things she hopes will help achieve this is her newest collaboration with Swoon, in which she helped launch its Zero Sugar Pink Lemonade. 

“What really aligns me is that their lemonade is zero sugar and zero carbs. And for a type 1 diabetic, that is anyone's dream, because it's a yummy drink that does not spike your glucose levels. You can drink it as much as you want and it's a yummy lemonade. I love sweet drinks, and when I discovered Swoon, I was, like, ‘This is amazing,’ and the co-founder is a type one diabetic as well,” the dancer said. “That really makes the brand, because I love what they are. It's two women and they're just so empowering and amazing, which is what really drew me. But it is just such a great product that I love and I drink every day in my everyday life, because it's so good.” 

Arnold also shared that before Swoon, she used to be a “Diet Coke drinker, because that's no carbs, no sugar. But I can't just drink Diet Coke for every single meal, so it's nice to have lemonade that I can also drink as well.” 

Aside from zero-sugar items, another thing Arnold needs is time for self-care, both at home and on the road. 

“Having a long night routine is my favorite, whether that's a long shower or a bath, skincare and a face mask. That's my favorite way to unwind and relax after a hard day,” she shared. “I always prioritize my nighttime routine. Even if it's midnight, I will still do one, because I want to make sure that I get that in and I can just take some time for myself.”