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Event Recap: Winter Slipstream 2014

Words: Virtue Bajurny | Photos: Mike Last

YMCA Camp Wanakita is where the first ever CIM Slipstream was held. It is also where the first Slipstream I ever attended was held. After that year the event was moved to the smaller YMCA Camp, Pine Crest. Throughout the drive from Toronto I was hard pressed to remember the buildings and the layout of Wanakita. It was just darkness in my mind… But as the car’s headlights illuminated the pine-lined road to the camp’s grounds, images started to repopulate my mind: I carpooled with Saci and Jeff; it was chilly, but not particularly cold; the ground and trees were heavy with snow. As we revved up and over the final hill, the warm lights of the core Wanakita buildings shone brightly and I was struck with an odd sense of being home. Suddenly, the layout, happenings, and friends from my first Slipstream were back to the forefront of my mind.

So what did we get up to at this year’s Winter Slipstream? There were several options to start the weekend off: snowshoeing, a beginner cross-country ski, and a more advance cross-country ski group. We convened after lunch for a great indoor session on various hot D-topics, such as the newly available Dexcom and Animas Vibe, the bionic pancreas, Glu, and lipohypertrophy (presented by the awesome CDE Trish, and… a blow-up doll.) Then, the afternoon consisted of tobogganing, a game of shinny, and a ropes course… followed by an evening of minute-to-win-it games, ugly sweater contests, and hanging out by the fire.

The weekend is always jam packed, but goes by quickly. As we left the camp grounds on Sunday afternoon I wondered about the new faces that had come out for the weekend. Did they too find a sense of home at Slipstream this weekend? By the time I arrived back to my place in Toronto I already saw the answer sitting in the 2014 Winter Slipstream Facebook group. It was Jason’s first time out to anything Connected in Motion, and he had this to say about this year’s Winter Slipstream at Wanakita:

As this was my first Slipstream and CIM event I wanted to thank everyone for making this the best weekend ever!!!!!! Everyone was so nice and welcoming!!!! I had so much fun and learned a lot from everyone. Having not really met other people living with diabetes, this weekend was truly inspiring for me and has changed my outlook on diabetes. I felt much more positive towards living with diabetes after the weekend was over; however, sad to be leaving all of you. I hope to continue to do more CIM events and see you all again. Thank you again to everyone for making this the most awesome weekend ever!!!!!!!

Thanks to Jason for the kind words, and thank you to everyone that came out to this year’s Winter Slipstream!

(PS- Did I mention that it was -28⁰C over the weekend? But everyone came prepared and rocked the outdoor components of the weekend… despite the rather severe chill in the air!)

One Comment

  • I promise to make it to one of these sometime SOON!!! But in the meantime, I pledge my everlasting gratitude to MIKE for the absolutely incredible pictures. You rock, dude.