I am a diabetes Champion because despite having been diagnosed at a very young age, I insist on living my life to the fullest. I do not believe in customizing my daily activities to fit into my diabetes care regimen, but rather quite the opposite. I hope that my activities as a JDRF volunteer will contribute to one day finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.
In the meantime, I own my diabetes, it does not own me!

Olivia was three years old when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now she’s almost six. No kid should have to endure what she endures — day in, day out — but most of the time she accepts her management routine with patience and good humour.

Ella, age three, looks out for her big sister and helps Olivia whenever she can. Sometimes she comes to tell us, “Olivia’s low.” She’s very patient with her crazy Mom and Dad, who sometimes give her sister’s diabetes a bit too much attention.

Two Diabetes Champions, without a doubt!

I have been living with type 1 diabetes for more than 35 years. As an active adolescent, I always struggled with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during exercise and sports. After completing a bachelors’ degree in Kinesiology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, I began graduate work under the supervision of a pediatric exercise specialist, Dr. Oded Bar-Or, at McMaster University. My thesis work helped establish new guidelines on how to prevent exercise-associated low blood sugar in active children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. As a post-doctoral student at the University of Toronto in Physiology, I learned more about how stress and exercise influence diabetes control under the supervision of Dr. Mladen Vranic, who is a world renowned scientist studying diabetes metabolism since the late 1950s. Now, as a professor of integrative physiology in the Faculty of Health at York University in Toronto, along with my enthusiastic and gifted graduate students, I continue to study the effects of stress and exercise on both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We are able to do this through both support and funding from the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Canadian Institute for Health Research. Our studies include animal models of diabetes and humans with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and more recently those with pre diabetes.
Remembering my own frustrations as a young athlete struggling with diabetes and sports, I recently developed an adolescent type 1 diabetes specialty sports camp where young athletes with diabetes can improve their skills at both diabetes management and their sport of interest (basketball, soccer or tennis). I firmly believe that learning from each other in an experiential setting helps improve diabetes management skills and motivation to be healthy in spite of our diabetes. Although it may seem like every day is surrounded by and about diabetes both personally and professionally, I would not want it any other way.
Because of diabetes, I’ve made numerous life long friendships and I feel proud of my accomplishments and contributions in helping those with the disease live longer and healthier lives.

I am a Diabetes Champion because my Father died from complications of type 2 diabetes and my younger brother has had type 2 diabetes since he was in his late 30s. My Grandmother and her Mother both had type 2 diabetes as well. My Father had his first heart attack when I was 16 years old after having had diabetes for 15 years. He recovered from that scare but went on to have a major stroke 10 years later. He survived the stroke but just barely and lived the next 5 years in a long term care facility He could not walk or talk for those 5 years and it was heart breaking for all his family and friends to see him like that. We now know that his premature passing could have been prevented. My children could have known their grandfather if only we knew then what we know now.
When Lisa was asked why she is a Diabetes Champion, she said:  “As a pharmacist I see many patients with type 2 diabetes. I feel passionate about helping them so that their family does not have to experience the pain and suffering that my Father and his family went through. In the last 20 years there have been many new medications to help prevent the long term complications of diabetes that were not available when my Father needed them.. I try very diligently to inform every person I come in contact with about the epidemic of diabetes that is upon us. I also do as much outreach and education as is possible through my pharmacy to give people the knowledge they need to manage their own diabetes or to help someone they know who has diabetes.”

Nissim Oshadi
Why I am a Diabetes Champion.

Over 30 years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Instead of looking at it as a “sickness” or an “illness,” I took the diagnosis as an opportunity to change my way of life for the better. And I have found that it’s not that hard! Along with medication, I watch my diet (lots of healthy vegetables and avoiding white bread etc.) and walk as much as I can for exercise. This has kept my health in good check for over 3 decades – and given me loads of energy to enjoy my life.

You should also know I am passionate about chocolate! So passionate in fact, that during my travels I constantly searched the market for a high quality sugar-free chocolate that would satisfy my sweet tooth. This led to the opening of my shop, Dahso Chocolat et Café in Toronto. It is my greatest pleasure to bring the finest European, no sugar-added chocolate to the Diabetes community. The best news is… most of our customers can’t tell the difference.

I salute my fellow “Champions of Diabetes” and say from my own experience that with a little effort life can be sweet!

My brother Liam is a diabetes champion because he doesn’t let his diabetes hold him back from being a top level athlete!

Liam is a running back for the CJFL’s Edmonton Wildcats (#34 in photo). He trains and plays hard at his sport despite living with type 1 diabetes. On Nov 14th, 2009 the Wildcats will be playing in the Canadian Championship game in Nanaimo – fitting that this diabetes champion will be playing in the championship game on WDD!

Liam is a great example of what someone with type 1 can still do despite this disease. We’ll be cheering him on this WDD in Nanaimo. Go Cats Go!!!

“I was asked by our Regional Canadian Diabetes Association office to write myself up as a Diabetes Champion. So I’ll start with a disclaimer -I don’t claim to be a champion. I do what I do for diabetes research and programs because both my daughter Kate and my niece Leah have type 1 diabetes. Kate was diagnosed 16 years ago at the age of 7, and that was enough for me to decide to do something about diabetes – I just didn’t know what I could do. Then I saw some PR for Team Diabetes Canada, and ended up running Amsterdam in 2001. Next, we founded a Speakers Bureau here in eastern Ontario, and I was one of the trainers. That led to getting involved in advocacy at the provincial level, and eventually MC’ing several advocacy conferences across Canada. Hey, I’ve even begged for bottles at the local beer store! The real champions are my daughter and my niece – I just do what I can to support them and the millions of Canadians whose lives are in some way touched by diabetes.”

“I am a third generation diabetic, diagnosed when I was 22 years of age. Due to my healthy lifestyle of daily exercise and proper diet I have been able to keep my diabetes well controlled for approximately 40 years. As a Champion for Diabetes, my motivation is mainly because of the consequences two of my older siblings (also diabetics) suffered due to making poor choices. Becoming educated about diabetes and the awareness of side effects if not controlled, would make us all Champions!”

Mike is my Diabetes Champion. He was diagnosed about 13 years ago and with his diagnosis we’ve learned a whole new life. We live healthier and have used his diabetes to connect not only with the CDA but with many community members through support groups, speaking engagements and Team Diabetes.

We’ve learned to LIVE with his diabetes. Mike’s positive attitude and willingness to help others has made us both better people and given us an awareness of how we can use this disease to help not only ourselves but others.

Frank is a valued member of Team Diabetes (www.teamdiabetes.ca), and when asked why he supports the cause he said: ” I am a Diabetes Champion because I believe that there will be a cure in my lifetime and all it takes is the dollars, the research and the focus to make this a reality. Along with many others, if I can make a small contribution through my fundraising activities and through running, then together, we can make a difference.