Skip to main content

Tempted to apply to the Connected in Motion Adventure Team?  Here are some common Q&A’s that might help you figure out what it’s all about!

Q. What's the difference between this trip and a regular CIM trip?

One of the differences between this trip and our regular Adventure Trips is the fundraising element. 

Team members pay almost nothing for the trip itself (it’s covered by our corporate sponsors and generous in-kind donors) but fundraise to make CIM programming accessible to more people with Type 1.  In the past, the Adventure Teams have raised in excess of $60,000 – contributing to long-lasting, impactful change which is bigger than any of us individually.

It’s still a wilderness trip – in 2020 we will be hiking through the rugged Teton Crest Trail of Grand Teton National Park, camping out and carrying everything we need on our backs.

Q. How much money do I have to raise? What if I've never fundraised before?

Each team member pledges to raise $3000.  For many, this is their biggest ever fundraising endeavour and probably always will be.

However, at Connected In Motion, it is our thing! so we provide the team with a great fundraising toolkit and a support network to make it all happen. You are responsible for the actual fundraising itself, but we can provide you with tools, ideas, and strategies for success.

We hold regular group video calls to see how everyone’s doing, we help each other out and bounce ideas off each other – it really is a journey we embark upon together, no one is out there trying to raise the money all on their own.

Q. The trail sounds good but scary and tough. What if I'm not a big hiker?

You’re right, the Adventure Team trip is longer (up to 10 days including travel) and more physically challenging – you can get a taste of them here: 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

The toughness is also something we tackle together.  With the support and inspiration from the collective, each member sets up their own training sessions relevant to them – ie. going for a 5km hike with some weight on your back and hiking boots on your feet.

These trips have proved to be life-changing for a lot of our past team members and we suspect it’s down to the fact that it’s not entirely easy 🙂

Q. Hiking doesn't sound much like a team sport... why do you keep saying 'team members'?!

Yes, you could hike alone.

But, as the poignant African proverb states “If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”

This is a journey in which we go far – far from that first step on the trail and even further, in life, from the day that you apply.  The good that we do and the distance that we travel is 100% a team effort.

Q. Who decides which applicants become part of the team?

We send your applications to our Adventure Team Selection Committee, made up of prominent members in the T1D and outdoor adventure communities.  They provide feedback on which jigsaw of applicants would form the best team for this year, on this trip.

They go off the information you send us and are mindful of team and trail dynamics.  If you aren’t selected this year, it doesn’t mean that you are not an exceptional applicant and wouldn’t be successful in future Adventure Team years.

Q. I'm from Idaho/Colorado/Northwest Territories/Saskatchewan - am I eligible to apply?

YES!  We accept applications from all over North America. In fact, we encourage them.

Applications close on January 31, 2020.
Successful team members notified mid-February.
The team will tackle the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park in August 2020 (exact dates TBA)

Words by Stephi Walker | Photos by Hank De Vos