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Adventure Team Alumni (2016-2023)

These awesome adventurers have trekked the most challenging trails in North America, raising over $150,000 to date to support CIM programming.

Abby Elias

2023 - Teton Crest Trail

In high school Abby took a career aptitude test that suggested she should follow an outdoor career in science, such as becoming a forest ranger. Instead, Abby became an attorney (after getting her undergraduate degree in anthropology.) Abby's legal career included several years in the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, starting in the Office of Indian Rights, and later more than 30 years in city law departments in Michigan (Detroit and Ann Arbor), with a few years in private practice in between where she took on a pro bono case representing an individual on death row in Georgia. Abby played and refereed rugby, and earned a second degree black belt in aikido before becoming a parent to three kids, who were adopted in China and Bolivia.

Abigail Rainey

2019 - Chilkoot Trail

Abigail is a quadruplet - one of four girls. She grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 7 years old. For the past 22 years, Abigail has worked hard to not let diabetes and the perception of diabetes define who she is. She is married to her best friend, Collin, is a Mom to a wild toddler, Booker (who she and Collin adopted 18 months ago!) and works as a Child Life Specialist Supervisor, helping kids in the hospital understand and cope with what is happening and cheering on the team as they do the same. Abigail's family and their furry dog, Hobbes, love to adventure together-hiking, backpacking, and exploring their city. She is easy going, calm, and loves to laugh. Abigail is not easily discouraged and has been told that she has a lot of grit. She likes to blame that on her fiery red hair, and the flexibility and independence that managing her diabetes for over 20 years has given her.

Alicia Hannon

Fine Artist

Alicia de la Rosa grew up in San Diego, Ca and ventured across the country to Philadelphia, Pa for college, where she graduated with a Bachelors in Film. Diagnosed a little over 2 years ago, she is determined to live the life she always wanted and not let this disease hold her back. She’s a huge sucker for sunsets and escapes to the beach anytime she can, to tan, run, or just listen to the peaceful sounds of the ocean. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, which typically involves stuffing her face at new locally owned restaurants or exploring the great outdoors. Traveling around the world and exposing herself to all sorts of cultures has always been a strong desire of hers and she’ll be taking new adventures soon. She obtained her travel bug from her mother, who was her strongest supporter and encouraged Alicia to apply for this team. Alicia holds dear to her heart the memory of her mother and knows she’ll be there in spirit experiencing the North Coast Trail with her. She’s thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of such a motivating and enthusiastic team of those with Type 1 diabetes who wish to make a difference in the Type 1 diabetes community. She’s excited about this trek and to make new Type 1 friends with the same adventurous interests.

Allison Mitchell

2017 - North Coast Trail

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.

Amanda Coschi

2017 - North Coast Trail

Amanda was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 10 and since then her diabetes has been taking her on wild adventures! Amanda grew up in Aurora, ON but spent her summers in Huntsville at Camp Huronda where she learned of her love for canoe trips and the outdoors. She spent many summers as a camper and after completion of her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at McMaster University and obtaining her Certified Diabetes Educator she continued her summers at camp this time attending the canoe trips as their nurse. In the winter you can find her with a pair of skates, skis or her snowboard on her feet. Amanda is beyond excited for this opportunity to start another adventure and give back to an organization that has been an invaluable support network for her!

Amy Burrows

2016, 2022, 2024

Amy was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1988, after a few months of being ill and a couple misdiagnoses (doctors tried to assure her mom it was just the flu)! She grew up going to Camp Huronda in the summer time from ages 8-20 where she met many of her closest friends, and made unbreakable bonds. She spends her days working in dentistry, and enjoying the outdoors with her wonderful boyfriend, friends, family (and dog!) both on and off her 50 acre home near Port Perry, Ontario. Amy adores anything in the outdoors, especially hiking and canoe tripping - often using her free time to guide and take personal trips! Being a part of this team is thrilling to her, it’s a chance to combine some of her favourite things- raising awareness for Type 1 diabetes (both for newly diagnosed individuals and those who’ve had diabetes for years), supporting an amazing charity and to top it all off getting to embark on a trip of a lifetime!

Andres Arriaga

2023 - Teton Crest Trail

Being diagnosed with diabetes was Andres' windows into the outdoors. It started with climbing and has gradually led into any and all things outdoors. Often times people forget Andres has diabetes because he is constantly going and pushing himself to his limits, until it’s time to re-up on carbs or change a sensor. Currently he works for a non-profit guiding outdoor trips for kids from underserved communities and attempts to inspire them to seek the transformative power of the outdoors.

Anissa Gamble

2017 - North Coast Trail

Anissa Gamble was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick where she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 8. Pursuing competitive hockey, she attended Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario for high school, and went on to play Division 1 NCAA hockey at Robert Morris University (RMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While at RMU, she majored in biology with a concentration in pre-medicine and minored in chemistry. She is currently doing her masters in experimental surgery at the University of Alberta studying islet cell transplantation for Type 1 diabetes under the wing of Dr. Shapiro. This adventure is combining awareness for diabetes with the support of Connected in Motion and proving to myself and fellow diabetics were capable of anything we set our mind to.

Anna Groeling

2018 - Rockwall Trail

Anna grew up surrounded by Colorado's mountain range. The Rocky Mountains frame the sun well during a sunrise and sunset, and she's excited to explore the Kootenay Mountains. Anna now lives in Fort Collins, Colorado where she earned her journalism degree and Spanish minor May 2017. As of writing this bio, Anna saw about twelve dogs on my hike last weekend. She stopped to pet most of them when able. While a casual hiker, with some camping experience, Anna loves a challenge and the chance to connect with other Type 1s. She was diagnosed with Type 1 as a child and use a MiniMed insulin pump. Anna is passionate about education, the outdoors, dogs and waking up early enough to drink coffee before starting the day.

Antoine Gibson

2022 - Fryatt Valley Trail

Antoine Gibson began his musical journey in 2004. In January of 2010, he, along with three high school, formed the hip-hop and r&b based jazz band TraVerse. For two years, TraVerse changed the Metro Atlanta music scene by adding a new flavor of jazz/hip-hop fusion. Post graduation from high school, Antoine continued his education at the Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. There in Tallahassee, he became active in FAMU's Marching 100, university jazz band, wind symphony, and a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc. while playing around in venues around Florida and Georgia with the 3-Point Brass Band. While in school, he had the opportunity to participate in the VH1 movie “Drumline 2: A New Beat” which lead to a minor acting role in the BET show, “The Quad", where he also arranged and recorded music for the series. His 2022 debut album, “Tales from the Eastside”, pays homage to his hometown and life experiences, including living with type 1 diabetes in the song entitled “Mellitus”. In 2017 Antoine founded Mutali Music, LLC - a music production, arranging, and composition company. In May of 2023, he founded the non-profit Mutali Diabetes, with the purpose of serving the diabetic community through concerts, festivals, and other musical initiatives, as well as providing educational and camp scholarships and resources to kids in need.

Autumn Watkinson

2018 - Rockwall Trail

Autumn is a PhD student at the University of Alberta, researching habitat restoration for endangered prairie species. She grew up in Parry Sound, ON on the shores of Georgian Bay and has always had a love of the outdoors. She was diagnosed with T1D in 1996 and uses a MiniMed Paradigm insulin pump.

Becky Marval

2016 - Long Range Traverse

Becky is a 31-year-old Saskatchewan farm-girl living in Halifax, Nova Scotia with her huge-hearted husband. She loves novelty, adventure, and spending time with people doing active or creative things like swing dancing, hiking, gardening, moonlighting in musicals, or traveling. When Becky was 9, she was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, which was hard on her and her family, but she was fortunate enough to attend diabetes summer camp, where she gained confidence, perspective and friends who were like her. In being selected to join the CIM Adventure Challenge to Gros Morne National Park this August, Becky feels like a kid getting ready for diabetes summer camp again; She wants to learn to better manage her blood sugars while adventuring and look forward to injecting new energy into living well with DMI!

Beth Wicklund

2019 - Chilkoot Trail

Beth is an Emergency Room Doctor and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loves to try new things! Whether it's new craft projects, new athletic endeavors, new places to travel: She wishes there were more hours in the day to do it all. Beth's job as an ER doctor helps feed this love—every day is a new adventure/challenge/puzzle. Beth tries to find a little bit of quiet time each day to recharge and rest up for the next one.

Blair Ryan

2017 - North Coast Trail

Blair was born in California to two Canadian parents, and she’s always been happiest when playing outside. She was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 at 14 years old in the middle of cross-country season. She’s grateful that being an athlete was already a big part of her identity and it fueled her motivation for learning everything she could about diabetes. Since then, she has learned most from being outside with others with diabetes who have similar interests. Blair is an accomplished collegiate distance runner, cyclist, and Ironman triathlete. If time allowed, she would spend all day every day running on trails. In her professional career, Blair uses her background in anthropology and journalism to promote the idea that peer support and experiential education play vital roles in sustainable health systems. She lives and surfs in San Diego, California, with her partner Peter who also has Type 1 diabetes.

Bobby Crawford

2023 - Teton Crest Trail

Living with T1D has been a life-long experience for Bobby - he was diagnosed at 18 months old! Every day is a new challenge, and the Adventure Trek is a once in a lifetime opportunity that he is honored to participate in. Bobby grew up, went to college, and met his wife Ellen in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. He loves spending time in nature, and for years had been in love with the vast, rugged, and beautiful landscapes and culture of the Pacific Northwest. In 2019, Bobby and his family were finally able to make the move, and now reside in northwest Oregon with their two pugs Percy and Fig, and hedgehog Ember. Both professionally, and as a hobby, Bobby is a software architect. In his free time, he is also a woodworker, rock climber, cyclist and major lover of non-fiction books.

Brendan Wood

2019 - Chilkoot Trail

Brendan grew up in Northern Ontario and is no stranger to the outdoors. He moved to Hamilton to study engineering and, after a brief stint working in finance, has recently completed a graduate degree in the field of renewable energy. Brendan spends most of his spare time in the summer competing at ultimate frisbee tournaments and looks for opportunities to travel abroad whenever he can. He refuses to let his diagnosis of T1D get in the way of living the life he wants to live.

Chantal Rodrigue

2016 - Long Range Traverse

Chantal Rodrigue grew up in Ottawa and now lives in Toronto while finishing up her diploma in Child and Youth work. She was diagnosed with T1D at the age of 3 and is lucky to have an extremely supportive family who have never let her think that T1D is something that should hold her back. That’s a message that Chantal always tries to share with friends, family, and anyone else who may be considered “different”. She also has a T1D sister who she will be sharing this experience with! They are both so excited for this opportunity and to be part of the team!

Charlie Campagnaro

2018 - Rockwall Trail

Charlie is 58 years old, and one of 8 children. His parents are 90 and 86 and still live on their own - his 90 year old father still drives. The father of four adult children, 3 boys and a girl - each of them were his inspiration for applying for this years Adventure Team. Charlie and his beautiful wife Rosanna live in Guelph, Ontario, where they have resided their entire lives. His wife and children have done their best to learn about Charlie’s diabetes and keep him on the right track, as hard as that is at times.

Charlotte Drury

2022 - Fryatt Valley Trail

Charlotte Drury was a member of the 2020 Olympic Team for the sport of Trampoline. She was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic just 3 months before the Tokyo Olympics and only 3 weeks before the start of Olympic Trials. In the year since she’s been diagnosed she’s been determined to not let her diagnosis hold her back from living the adventurous life she’s always dreamed of. Charlotte works as a freelance photographer and loves to travel, cook and go on crazy adventures. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her girlfriend and 6 plants.

Chris Hawley

2018 - Rockwall Trail

Chris Hawley sailed into this world, the fourth child and only son to a Nova Scotian Maritime family. Part way through his studies at Dalhousie, Chris decided on a hiatus to pursue a real life education, to travel the world or, as some romanticise, to ‘find yourself’. He spent a year living and working in Scotland. Exploring the countryside, hiking, and running up mountain paths brought him closer to some of his roots and gave him a jumping off point to explore Europe and the Mediterranean. It was on this yearlong journey that Chris learned more about himself and the world surrounding him. It was now clear that travel would become a life-long- learning endeavour.

Christine Croteau

2016 - Long Range Traverse

Christine Croteau was born and raised in Worcester, MA, USA. She acquired Type 1 diabetes secondary to a medication while in graduate school when she was 30. In the last 2 years, with lots of hard work, dedication support and connection she is taking charge of her life and living without limits! In the past 2 years Christine started long distance running, biking and swimming, completed her first marathon, lost 40lbs and became Vegan. In order to stay healthy and happy she spends much of my time being immersed in the things she loves most in life, being in nature, traveling, teaching yoga and meditation, making art, cooking, farming, spending time with family, friends and community groups.
Thousands Raised
150000
Kilometers Hiked
430
Adventure Team Members
75

Ellie Fraser

2018 Adventure Team | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Ellie was born in Toronto, ON and has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 20 years. She may have grown up in the city, but Ellie developed a love for the outdoors spending every summer kayaking in Charlevoix, and canoe tripping with Camp Huronda. Ellie moved 4 years ago to Squamish, BC where she completed her Bachelor's of Arts and Science at Quest University Canada specializing in neuroscience. Specifically, Ellie is passionate about learning and memory and developmental neuroscience. In BC, she has taken advantage of the beautiful landscape, swimming, skiing, and hiking. Ellie is incredibly excited to be joining the Connected in Motion adventure team to raise awareness about Type 1, challenge herself, and connect with other folks living with Type 1.

Erik Douds

2017/2019 Adventure Team Photographer | New York, New York, USA

Erik Douds is a global traveler who shares his and other explorer’s stories through the blog DiabetesAbroad.com. He is on a mission to collect a story and photo from every country in the world, proving that we can go anywhere with Type 1 diabetes. Based out of NYC, his passion lies in international environmental policy where he helps protect natural resources as a Sustainability Manager. Past work has brought him to designing a national park in Ethiopia, researching ocean basins with a NASA oceanographer, and celebrating the new year in the backcountry of New Zealand.

Geneva Boliek Poling

2017 Adventure Team | Corrales, New Mexico, USA

Geneva grew up in Corrales, New Mexico, a small agricultural town located along the Rio Grande River. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 5 years ago when she was 17. Just a few months after her diagnosis, she started college at the University of New Mexico, and shortly after was accepted into an art program that took her on an intense trek throughout the southwest desert. Geneva found that while managing her diabetes in unwelcoming environments, from boiling hot afternoons in Texas to freezing nights in Colorado, she was able to overcome the physical limitations she thought would stop her from adventuring. Ever since she has sought out challenges that take her outdoors and affirm her confidence in her body’s ability to take her wherever she wants to go.

Hank Devos

2016/2017/2018 Adventure Team Film maker | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

When he isn’t day dreaming about ripping down a mountain in knee deep powder, you can find Hank behind a camera. His passion for film and media began when he was a young child– seeing blockbuster films had him hooked. Whether it’s on a mountain, or inside a studio, the need to tell a story through images consumes his time. His love for the outdoors and filmmaking collide head-on in his role with Connected in Motion as their video producer. Hank is the man and the mind behind the CIM Adventure Challenge video project.

Helene Scalliet

2019 Adventure Team | Silver Springs, MD, USA

Helene thrives on being outside. Whether it is standing on top of Mount Whitney or kayaking 226 miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, she is at her best when she is outside. She has dedicated her career to protecting special places in our oceans, and while that means a lot of time spent in front of a computer, she makes up for it by going kayaking or hiking along her neighborhood creek after work. Being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 36 was a blow, but Helene was determined not to let it limit her pursuits - in fact, one of the first things she did after being diagnosed was sign up for a marathon! Living with diabetes has brought even more meaning to challenging herself with great outdoor adventures because she wants to inspire others to reach for the stars even when faced with serious obstacles.

Ian Bulmer

Adventure Team 2016 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

A Toronto resident, Ian Bulmer is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast who loves running, climbing, napping, yoga and playing. He is married and is a father to two wonderful teens, Hannah (T1D) and Alexander. Ian is a lawyer, and works as a prosecutor for the Province of Ontario. He has worked as Trial Lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands prosecuting war crime cases from sub-Saharan Africa. He enjoys coaching recreational youth soccer in Toronto during the fall and spring.

Jen Hanson

2016/2017/2018/2019 Adventure Team Guide | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Jen has grown up with Type 1 diabetes. Diagnosed in 1987, she has never let diabetes stop her from pursuing her passion. Jen’s early beginnings as a campfire-loving, bug-catching, mud-puddle-jumping, tree-climbing tot sparked in her a love for the natural world that has been fostered and frown into a full-blown passion for everything outdoors. Jen has degrees in Kinesiology and Education and specializes in Outdoor and Experiential Health education. She is currently the Executive Director of Connected in Motion.

Jocelyn Rodrigue

2016 Adventure Team | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Jocelyn Rodrigue was born in Surrey, BC, where she lived for 6 years before moving to Regina, SK. Shortly afterwards, she moved to Ottawa, ON. Jocelyn was diagnosed with Type 1 on November 2, 2002, making her the second diabetic in the family (her younger sister was diagnosed at age 3). Moving around in her younger age made her anxious to leave Ottawa for university - she decided to go to Memorial University in St. John’s, NL. Although she fell in love with the province, and wanting explore more of it, she moved back to Ottawa to finish off her degree. Her enjoyment of hiking began on a family trip to Lac Sacacomie, QC where she and her sister spent many afternoons exploring the hiking trails. Since then, she tries to get up to the Gatineau Hills as often as she can.

Jordi Cumber

2019 Adventure Team | Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

Raised in Southwestern Ontario, Jordi now considers home to be anywhere her partner, Devon, and their two retired sled-dogs, Pumpkin and Moss, are. After 10 years (on and off) in Ottawa, Jordi and Devon lost their home and all of their belongings in a house fire. They managed to turn this negative adventure into a positive one, bought an old van, converted it into a new home and travelled across North America for a year, spending all of their time exploring and learning how to rock climb. Jordi now lives in beautiful Squamish, British Columbia. She works full time as a registered labour and delivery nurse, attending births both in hospital and at home. Jordi gets to continue to climb everyday (when it’s not raining!) and spend time hiking in the beautiful coastal mountains and rainforest. She has lived with T1D for 18 years but just recently has begun to be more open to and aware of the support and community that she needs in order to continue caring for herself. Jordi wants to be 95 years old and rocking her diabetes and she knows she can’t do it alone. After many years of “maybe I’ll do it next year” she is so excited to have finally taken the plunge applied to the CIM Adventure Team.

Katie Thivener

2018 Adventure Team | Denver, Colorado, USA

Katie Thivener was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio in a close community always surrounded by supportive and caring family and friends.

She was diagnosed with type 1 when she was 6 years old. She has always viewed type 1 as a 'challenge accepted', strengthening factor, and way to live a healthier life.

Katie has always been passionate about giving back to the type 1 community. The tipping point came when she co-founded a College Diabetes Network group for The Ohio State University, she realized this was an arena she wanted to dedicate a large portion of her life.

The determination to find leaders in the future of diabetes care led to an internship at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Colorado summer of 2015 spiraling into full-time employment on the Barbara Davis Center Pediatric Artificial Pancreas Team in 2016.

Katie knew the second she stepped into the center this was where she belonged. The Barbara Davis Center is full of energy, passion, and people working to heighten care for those with T1D. Outside of work, she has been a volunteer at the Children's Diabetes Foundation, Colorado Children's Hospital, medical staff for American Diabetes Association Camp Colorado, and is currently pursuing a Master's in Public Health in order to obtain a Certified Diabetes Educator license to be able to further help those with type 1 diabetes.

Colorado continues to fill Katie's adventurous spirit and strong love of the outdoors.

Kelly Garner

2022 Adventure Team | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Kelsey Mackinnon

2019 Adventure Team | Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Kelsey is an adventurous spirit that can most often be found hiking with her pup or enjoying the endless outdoor activities of Northern Ontario. She was born in Cambridge, Ontario and was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2004 at the age of 15. Kelsey has always been determined that Type 1 will not hold her back, bringing it with her from the sand dunes of Morocco to the glaciers of Iceland. After completing her Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetic Internship at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Kelsey moved north to Kirkland Lake Ontario to pursue her passion of providing positive diabetes education to remote communities. Working as a Registered Dietitian at Camp Huronda, Kelsey discovered the magic of connecting with a community of like-minded Type 1’s, which led her to attend CIM’s Summer Slipstream 2017. Kelsey is grateful for the opportunities Type 1 diabetes has given her, and looks forward to tearing up the Chilkoot Pass and continuing to be a positive ambassador for the Type 1 community.

Kevin Scholtz

2022 Adventure Team | Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Kira Slivitzky

2019 Adventure Team | Orleans, Ontario, Canada

Kira's claim to fame is her love for all things science and research. She completed an undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in chemistry in North Bay, Ontario. After graduating, Kira went on to complete a Masters degree in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa and is now working in the clinical research field at the children's hospital in Ottawa (her hometown). She loves research and hopes to one day work in a translational research lab where she can combine her interests of laboratory and clinical research to study Type 1 diabetes. Outside of the world of science, Kira has many active interests such as hiking, playing sports and weightlifting. When she's not out playing sports or at the gym, you can find her at home watching Netflix documentaries with her cat. There isn’t a comedy movie that she hasn't seen! Kira is hoping to travel to 30 countries before she turns 30, spends way too much money on concerts, and is a very competitive board game player.

Kyle Howard

2019 Adventure Team | Banff, Alberta, Canada

Kyle was born and raised in Barrie Ontario. In late 2007, he was diagnosed with diabetes after months of symptoms. Since then, Kyle has travelled all around Canada and the United States seeking adventure in multiple forms such as backpacking, mountaineering, skydiving, motorcycling and photography. He now lives in Banff, Alberta where he is a Redseal Journeyman Painter at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The Chilkoot is something Kyle has always wanted to do and could have never dreamed he would have the chance to do with so many amazing individuals. He is excited to help redefine what it means to live with Type 1 diabetes. Being a part of the 2019 Adventure Team will ultimately change his life.

Lauren Dietz

2022 Adventure Team | Ferndale, Michigan, USA

Lexie Peterson

2022 Adventure Team | Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Lucy McGroarty

2016 Adventure Team | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Lucy is currently a Master of Design student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Her thesis project focuses on type 1 diabetes, specifically the impact of ‘diabetes burnout’ on mental health and wellbeing. During the past two years, Lucy has worked with others with Type 1 diabetes while researching and designing. By listening to their stories, experiences and advice, she has come to recognize the true value of the type 1 diabetes community. She is really looking forward to spending time out east with a new group of Type 1s!

Lydia Roth

2022 Adventure Team | Millcreek, Utah, USA

Maggie Crawford

2018 Adventure Team | San Diego, California, USA

Maggie Crawford loves playing in the mountains and in the ocean. Her best days are spent playing outside from sunup til sundown. Maggie has type 1 diabetes and enjoys taking it along surfing, climbing, trail running, and mountain biking. She is pursuing her PhD in Public Health, where she focuses on helping people manage their diabetes. Maggie will be joining the team as Team Photographer.

Marcel Plug

2019 Adventure Team | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Marcel is a father, a husband, an avid runner and an aspiring hiker. He grew up among the lakes and trees and has always felt at home there. Marcel loves to canoe, hike and run on the trails. He and his wife, Sarah, have always talked about doing the West Coast Trail - but when he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 27 he seriously doubted if he would ever be able to do a trek like that. In many ways the Chilkoot trail Adventure Trek is Marcel's way of proving to himself that he can do a serious hike and not let Type 1 diabetes get in the way of his goals.

Marcia Ross

2018 Adventure Team | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Marcia never really got over her love of summer camp; she was thrilled to find herself back in a canoe when she discovered CIM in 2017. She enjoys just about any outdoor activity and is also a keen tennis and squash player. Marcia has three children and one grandchild, loads of energy, a freelance marketing career, and a love of wit and wordplay.

Maria Angélica Guerrero-Quintana (Keka)

2022 Adventure Team | Vancouver, BC, Canada

Maureen Long

2019 Adventure Team | Vancouver, BC, Canada

When Maureen was growing up, she was always taking things apart to see how they were made. She has always been creative: painting, sewing, making pottery. Maureen delved into music until it filled her evenings. Outside of downhill skiing and Irish dancing, she never considered herself athletic. She is not quite sure how or when the switch happened. Perhaps it was her constant plans to paint the places she went; now Maureen seeks adventure, always looking for her next inspiration.

Maxine Armstrong

2019 Adventure Team | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The eldest of 3 children from a blue collar Burlington family, Maxine learned the value of team sports early on: her mom made sure they were exposed to every activity/sport available. Softball stuck and Maxine spent 7 months playing Senior Women’s softball in Melbourne Australia. She has attended three Olympic Games - one as a competitor and two as Media Attaché . Post-secondary education started at age 28, followed by an immensely rewarding 25 year career in Broadcast Media Sales. Whether it’s a golf swing, a canoe trip, a hiking adventure or dinner with friends, her approach is deliberate, curious, excited and all in. Perhaps photos taken of her say it best: in her signature pose her arms are outstretched, embracing that particularly beautiful moment in time and she is sporting a massive smile.

Meredith Miller

2019 Adventure Team | Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Meredith has always had a deep appreciation for nature and the great outdoors. As a child she spent countless weekends exploring and adventuring up at her cottage near Bon Echo Provincial Park. In 2009, in the summer before her second year of her Environmental Science degree at the University of Guelph, she was diagnosed with LADA, which was later changed to Type 1 Diabetes. Meredith has always had a positive outlook, choosing to see the funny side of life's challenges. In 2012 she partnered with her T1D friend Kayla Brown to establish Type 1 Diabetes memes, an online community that shares jokes and memes about day to day life with Type 1 Diabetes. Since her diagnosis almost 10 years ago, Meredith has worked several outdoor environmental fieldwork positions, obtained her Masters of Science degree in Entomology, and has continued to pursue her love for travel, nature photography, going on outdoor adventures and spending time with all the people who mean the most to her. She is thrilled to take on this challenge with an amazing group of inspiring people with Type 1 Diabetes.

Michael Gaudet

2022 Adventure Team | Berthoud, Colorado, USA

Nick Reed

2017 Adventure Team | Belleville, Ontario, Canada

Nick is an interesting character. He is a self-employed entrepreneur, restauranteur, fitness junkie, family man & loves “dad jokes”. His journey with Type 1 diabetes started in July 1999, just after graduating high school. He was one of only a handful of people his age group with Type 1 diabetes and has been (for quite some time) a “lone wolf” while advocating for his own health & wellness. No family history, no rhyme or reason why Type 1 diabetes arrived that day, but it changed his life forever, as he could no longer head down the career path of becoming a commercial pilot. The greatest turning point for him was 6 years ago when referred to St. Michael’s Hospital to start on an Animas insulin pump. That was the game-changer and made all the difference in the world. He has spent time with anybody he can find with Type 1 diabetes – random encounters in the world, internet chats with strangers who have questions, and then discovering the CIM group at the Canadian Diabetes Association T1D Expo in April 2016. He attended the Summer Slipstream in Bancroft near his home, and was totally hooked on the CIM group culture. This year marks Nick’s “half-life” with Diabetes – 18 years, and turning 36 years old. What a way to celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of half a lifetime than with an amazing group of T1Ds while hiking Cape Scott, British Columbia. These days, Nick spends his time as a mortgage broker, working in his restaurant, taking care of 2 young boys (5 & 10 – who both know when Dad is “low” and needs a juice box!), camping, Geocaching with his family and enjoying life to the fullest.

Olivia Power

2017 Adventure Team | Rothesay, Nova Scotia, Canada

Olivia Power is 20 years old and from Rothesay, New Brunswick. She is currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, studying business at Dalhousie University. Olivia was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 10 and has a special team of friends and family who support her with her condition every day. She is very excited to be a part of team CIM this year and is ready to make new connections and test her limits. Olivia wants to better understand and manage her blood sugars while embarking on her future endeavours and outdoor adventures. Her condition has never held her back from pursuing my goals, it has actually helped her learn and explore opportunities that will help her live a long healthy life with Type 1 diabetes.

Paul Chalmers

2018 Adventure Team | Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Paul Chalmers lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario and works full-time for U-Haul. He also is completing his BA in Business Management. Paul loves long walks on the beach, snowboarding, reading and hanging with friends. He loves Slipstreams and looks forward to the chance to meet new friends and connect with old ones (that you haven't seen in 16 years from before you both had diabetes - seriously, that happened). Paul is excited to learn new and interesting ideas about diabetes. Interesting Fact: In 2016, Paul received Niagara's 40 under 40 business award for young leaders in the Niagara area.

Paul Vugteveen

2019 Adventure Team | Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Paul is the Chef/Operator of OPEN Vegan Eats, where he creates food and foodspaces in a variety of formats. Paul lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with his partner (and Type 3/5.5er), Lindsey. In his professional work, he focuses on sustaining his community with delicious and satisfying barrier-free food. Paul's attention is currently focused on the intersections of food justice and environmental justice in an effort to support all other social justice movements. In Paul's spare time, he can be found outdoors running on trails, paddling on water, and eating delicious food.

Peter Nerothin

2019 Adventure Team Guide | San Diego, CA

Peter Nerothin has been participating in endurance/adventure activities since his diagnosis with T1D in 2000. He holds a MA in Adventure Education/Applied Psychology and enjoys sharing his experiences and insights with fellow type 1's. He trains and surfs with his wife Blair, who also lives with T1D.

Peter Vooys

2016/2017 Adventure Team Guide | Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Peter Vooys lives rurally, works remotely and travels historically. He is a graduate of Queen’s University and a member of the College of Teachers. He took his first canoe trip when he was six years old and hasn’t stopped since, to date logging 8000km of paddling and hiking. In 2013, Peter grabbed five other friends and paddled a voyageur canoe from the Rockies to Montreal in 120 days. Peter is sharing his love for the wilderness with Connected in Motion by coordinating CIM's Adventure Series. Peter is the lead guide of the Team CIM's Adventure Challenge in 2016.

Rebecca Fitzgerald

2019 Adventure Team Guide | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Rebecca grew up with her parents and brothers in Brampton Ontario. She was diagnosed at the age of 8 and began attending summer camp at Camp Huronda. This was Rebecca's first experience meeting other people with T1D and became home to some of her favourite childhood memories. Rebecca met her husband, Scott, when she was 22 years old. They moved to Ottawa in 2012, as parents to 2 fur babies. In 2014, they welcomed their daughter Maddison to the family! Rebecca has always been fortunate to have a supportive family and friends (in the T1D community and beyond) that inspire her to keep pushing the envelope and trying new physical pursuits like taking up running or training for triathlon (thanks Mom!) These people are always in her corner and have shaped her into the person she is today.

Renee Moreno

2019 Adventure Team Guide | La Jolla, California, USA

Renee's “becoming” can’t be separated from her diagnosis at 7-years-old when she learned the power of adaptability or growing up next to the ocean in San Diego and learning that while it’s so much bigger and stronger than her, it can hold her in ways that are both thrilling and familiar. She is a surfer, sailor, swimmer, drummer, vegetable gardener and recovering small business owner with an unquenchable thirst for deep learning. Curiosity has lead Renee from a BA in sociology and art to owning a coffee shop to going back to school to study mathematics for fun to joining bands and riding bikes and baking scones and laughing as much as she can with the people she loves.

Russell Cowan

2022 Adventure Team| Oakland, California, USA

Sarah Gaughan

2018 Adventure Team| Lakefield, Ontario, Canada

Sarah is 22 years old and from small-town Lakefield, Ontario! She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just last summer while finishing her degree in marine biology from Dalhousie University in Halifax. Sarah is now back in Ontario working as a veterinary assistant and working towards her ultimate goal: getting into vet school.

Sarah Ketcheson

2019 Adventure Team Guide | Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Although Sarah grew up in the east, she now works and plays in the west with Calgary, Alberta serving as her home base. Growing up, her summers involved intense shenanigans at Camp Huronda; experiences which paved her path towards becoming an educator. Sarah is entering into her 20th year living with Type 1 diabetes and has plans to hike, mountain bike and run into this anniversary. On her rest days, Sarah attempts to maintain her vegetable garden or figure out creative ways to trick her partner Nathan into planning more hikes.

Shaleen Huphries

2017 Adventure Team | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Shaleen grew up in the tiny town of Geraldton, located in Northwestern Ontario. She moved to Ottawa in 2009 to study Environmental Science at the University of Ottawa. Here, she was lucky enough to meet her future husband in 2012. While planning their wedding during the summer of 2016, Shaleen started feeling extremely tired, was losing weight, and was experiencing extreme thirst. Thinking it was the flu or the stress of wedding planning, she postponed seeing her doctor until the thirst and fatigue became unbearable. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in August, 2016 at age 25. She is still learning how to handle the daily challenges that come with diabetes, but it hasn’t stopped her from doing the things she loves, including skiing, cooking, traveling with her husband, and cuddling with her Bernese mountain dog.

Shayda Yazdanmehr

2022 Adventure Team Guide | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Stephanie Brodie

2019 Adventure Team Guide | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Stephanie believes that she became who she is today because of her Diabetes. During her 14 years of life-before-Diabetes, she was always involved in sports and outdoor adventure. After being diagnosed at 14, Steph used physical activity and healthy eating to control her blood sugars and to stay healthy, a passion which led to me becoming a fitness instructor. Along with this, came Steph's involvement in Connected In Motion. She attended her first event in 2011 and has met some of her best and closest friends - She even had the chance to star in a Dexcom commercial earlier in 2019! Steph has gotten the opportunity to become an Ambassador for CIM and to be a part of something awesome! In her free time, she is an avid beer enthusiast and amateur brewer, with dreams of opening up my own brewery that will also have a spin studio.

Stephi Walker

2018 Adventure Team Guide | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Stephi grew up in Scotland playing in the wild North Sea and watching David Attenborough documentaries. Her taste for adventure only grew as she completed an honours degree in Environmental Geoscience at the University of Edinburgh and she hasn’t stopped moving since. Stephi has guided trips all over the world – Tanzania, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Borneo, Greenland, Antarctica – and extensively within Canada. She’s a passionate whitewater canoeist and kayaker, multi-day hiker and sea-kayaker. Stephi is excited to share her love for the wilderness with Connected in Motion by coordinating CIM’s Adventure Series.

Tammy Hand

2016 Adventure Team | Bradford, Ontario, Canada

Tammy Hand grew up in Scarborough Ontario. She was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 10 – sadly it was just after Halloween and her brother got to eat all of her candy. On the good side, she started going to Diabetic Camp where she got in touch with her natural self. Tammy spends her days at her dream job instructing at one of the Peel District School Boards Outdoor/Environmental Education Centres. To her, outside doing stuff, experiencing life = fun. Tammy is excited to be joining the CIM Adventure Team heading to Gros Morne this summer because she is stoked to explore a place she has never been, to push her limits and to spread the word to others that life with Type 1 Diabetes can be full of possibilities.

Tina Sartori

2018 Adventure Team | London, Ontario, Canada

Tina has been rocking the world of living with T1 for 25 years. Her connection to the T1 community and outdoor adventures started at Camp Huronda where she worked for 17 summers, the final few as the Assistant Director. She was thrilled at the idea of an organization like CIM coming to fruition after her camp days ended as she realized the strength and knowledge of a T1 community is vital for managing this disease. Tina has some experience in the outdoors, but nothing like what the Rockwall has in store. She has taken on her 25th diaversary as one for celebrating living well with type one and doing big things! She has taken Adam Brown’s writing in Bright Spots and Landmines to heart, with regards to eating and insulin management and is currently training for a half marathon with CIM in Ottawa on May 27. The Rockwall Trail will be the grand finale! She is the Executive Director at Montessori Academy of London, where she tries to get on every outdoor field trip as possible, and lives in the city with her husband Kary and 9 year old son William. Together they share a passion for fishing and baseball.

Tracey Berg-Fulton

2022 Adventure Team | Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Troy Sandy

2019 Adventure Team | Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Born and raised in the Midwest, Troy began to spread his wings in college. He was a competitive distance swimmer in high school and thought he would continue swimming in college. However, Ihe traded his speedo for a wet suit when he discovered Scuba Diving as a student studying Underwater Science at Indiana University. The underwater world quickly became Troy's passion and ultimately his career. After college, Troy lived in San Diego for five years before moving to a boat in the Caribbean, first in Turks & Caicos then the Bahamas where he lived his dream as a dive instructor, diving the world as he worked towards becoming a boat captain. Many of his favorite dive sites include Australia, the cold waters of the California coast, and the pristine blue waters of the Caribbean. Troy's second passion is cycling, fostered initially as a rider in the Little 500 Bike Race at IU and continued with the hope to someday soon ride across the US. Being diagnosed with T1D just 18 months ago shifted his path temporarily but has not dampened his sense of adventure. Being a Scuba diver and a cyclist are a big part of Troy's identity and fueled his motivation to quickly learn everything he could about this thing called Type 1 Diabetes! Troy was determined not to let T1D slow him down or change who he is.

Vlad Velici

2016 Adventure Team | Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Vlad was born in Romania and came to Canada when he was 7 years old. He grew up in Toronto before moving to Vaughan at the beginning of his freshman year of high school. After high school, Vlad attended York University where he obtained his BA in Kinesiology - during his time at York, he was also a member of the Men's Varsity Basketball team for 4 years. In the summer of his last year of undergrad, Vlad was diagnosed with T1D. Although it was a big adjustment at first, he is still able to do all the things he loved doing before being diagnosed. Today Vlad spends his days learning how to educate the future of this country (he is currently in teachers college), but during his spare time he enjoy playing basketball, staying active, reading, watching movies, and hanging out with friends. Vlad is excited to be a part of this team because it gives him the opportunity to step out of his comfort zone and try something new. He is also looking forward to meeting others in the T1D community and sharing our stories, experiences, and taking on this challenge together!