Since becoming diabetic in 1985, I have participated in numerous outdoor activities, been an active member of local mountaineering clubs in many cities across Canada, Norway and Scotland and have participated in various mountaineering courses. I feel fortunate to have never been discouraged from doing exercise or any form of outdoor recreation as a diabetic.

Born in England, I emigrated to Montreal, Canada at the age of 11 and enjoyed doing many canoe trips, backpacking excursions and backcountry ski trips in the Adirondacks, White Mountains and Laurentians as a teenager. At the age of 14, I underwent brain surgery and consequently became diabetic, but less than two months after the surgery I was off to summer Girl Guide camp; within five months I was off on backpacking trips. What has always inspired me is how my neurosurgeon told me “You have the ability to be anything you want to be…you can do anything you want to do.” 

Since completing my under-graduate degree six years ago I have managed to live and work in many different places and explore many new mountain ranges (the positive side to not getting permanent employment!) While working in Norway one summer, I joined the local alpine club and participated in many trips into the surrounding mountains; being part of a society where mountains really were a part of their inheritance and culture was a wonderful experience. My love for mountains took me to Vancouver and Calgary in western Canada where I participated in many ski-touring, scrambling and mountaineering trips with the Alpine Club of Canada in the Coast Mountains and Canadian Rockies. 

I have always believed in exploring your own territory in your own backyard and this is what I did in my two years living in Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory in Canada’s far north. Weekends in the winter and spring-time were spent telemark skiing, exploring the Coast Mountains in northern British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. In the summer and early fall, with up to 20 hours of daylight, weekends were spent travelling over many glaciers and scrambling up many peaks in the Coast Mountains, St. Elias Mountains and other mountain ranges that very few people ever go into. With a lack of outdoor guidebooks and only out-of-date maps available, many of these trips were very exploratory and had a true element of adventure to them! The highlight of all of these trips was a week-long ski mountaineering trip on the south arm of the Kaskawulsh Glacier near Pinnacle Peak, in the heart of Kluane National Park, part of the largest protected wilderness in the world (seethe IDEA2000 team members Action page for more info). 

Being diabetic has never created any barriers to participating in outdoor activities but has taken perseverance, good planning and educating others. I find it interesting to note that nearly every outdoor trip I go on involves a number of people with health complications other than diabetes. In all first-aid and mountaineering courses that I have taken, I have made presentations on diabetes in outdoor emergency situations and given a detailed explanation of what diabetes really is. Having been on the insulin pump for almost 10 years, I have spoken to many diabetes groups and individuals and encouraged them to pursue insulin pump therapy and a more flexible and active lifestyle. I have recently devised my own method for carbohydrate/insulin ratio management during prolonged exercise and have been very excited to share this with other diabetics (see IDEA2000 in the Media and News pages). 

Since getting married in September 1998 we have been living “back down south” in Victoria, on Canada’s west coast, adjacent to the Olympic Mountains and Coast Mountains. I am fortunate to be married to a medical physicist who has an excellent understanding of diabetes and has given me much encouragement. We are currently active members of the Alpine Club of Canada and busy exploring these local mountains and glaciers every weekend!

All IDEA 2000 web pages are designed by the IDEA 2000 team members.
Questions related to web issues should be sent to Webmaster.

Please read our Disclaimer