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Katie Phillips

By November 17, 2010The Log Book

Q. Where are you from?
A.
I grew up in Schomberg, Ontario, which is about an hour north of Toronto and half way between Newmarket and Orangeville. As a child and young adult, I spent a lot of my time camping in the Muskoka area, where I fell in love with the outdoors. I now live in Kingston, Ontario, which made it convenient to attend the first annual Connected in Motion canoe extravaganza in North Frontenac!

Q. What’s your story?
A.
At age four, I had a very dramatic introduction to life with diabetes – taking a nosedive into a hamburger at a family function. My personality has always been very self-reliant, even at this early age, and I was quickly able to learn how to contribute to my own care. My desire to meet others living with diabetes translated into nearly a decade of attending Camp Huronda in Huntsville, Ontario.

At age 17, I moved to Kingston to attend Queen’s University where I studied Psychology and Environmental Science for four fabulous years. During this time, I was lucky to get involved with research projects on campus and earn a job as a Campus Tour Guide. I also became very close with Diabetes Hope Foundation, using my own successes to help support others as they pursue post-secondary education and get involved in the non-profit realm.

Being able to use an insulin pump has been a huge contributor to the quality of my life – it allows me to be more flexible with my choices, take on new activities, travel independently as part of my job, and disrupt daily routines on occasion! After recently upgrading my computer, I look forward to trying out new pump software to better manage my diabetes while on the road.

Q. What is the coolest thing you’ve done as a person with diabetes?
A.
My biggest achievement with diabetes has been related to solo travel. I have been fortunate to frequent Canada’s west coast for work, where I tend to take advantage of every moment of my free time to explore amazing local features as recommended by friends (Stanley Park is a favourite but I have been all over the lower mainland and the south part of Vancouver Island). This summer, I trekked east for the first time to see beautiful Nova Scotia (highlights included hiking in Cape Breton, attempting to whale-watch from Cheticamp, kayaking in Lunenberg, and dipping my toes in the cool waters of Hubbards and Sand Dollar beaches). Growing up with a supportive diabetic community has given me the luxury of knowing I can tackle anything with a little prep work! I guess this is the right time to declare a big thank you to those that have given me the inspiration to try all that I have, and to continue pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

Q. How do you keep ‘in motion’?
A.
In high school, I was very excited about the team part of team sports (basketball, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, and baseball, for example). Kayaking and waterskiing were added to that list as I began to spend more time in the Muskoka area, and for a time I even dabbled in downhill ski and flatwater canoe instruction. Indulging my more adventurous side, I did a little zip lining and bungee in Costa Rica. I was also able to try out scuba for a trip to Jamaica, though I much prefer to be on the water than in it! I still love spending time with people and taking advantage of the outdoors whenever I can through camping, hiking, and travel. I would love to try paragliding at some point… connections, anyone?

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