I am a Diabetes Champion because of my commitment to my mother and her daily battle with Diabetes. Paulette Evraire has always been the Rock of Gibralter in the Evraire clan and she is tougher than any linebacker that I had the unfortunate luck of meeting on the football field. She never wore her battle on her sleeve. She quietly went about living with Diabetes never wanting to make a big deal of the challenges she faced.

In a time where people are quick to trumpet their own personal success my mother remained steely eyed and silent. I was born on her birthday (July 17th, 1965), we are the only ones in the family of 8 to throw a ball left handed and every time jersey’s were handed out at the start of my hockey, baseball or football season I did my best to get number 17 in honor of my mother. When I struggled in my debut as a Team Diabetes marathon runner my mother’s confidence in me gave me strength. With 5km left in the 2004 Honolulu Marathon and my doubts of finishing the race increasing, many people came to mind. People I had met as the Sports Director at A-TV that were affected by diabetes on a daily basis! None stood out more than my mother. Like all great mothers she saw me to the finish line. She was at home tracking my efforts on the computer. She was thousands of miles away in Ottawa and was right beside me in Honolulu all in the same breath. I am a diabetes champion because my life is blessed with a diabetes champion…Paulette Evraire.