Alberta Diabetes Institute trainee Anissa Gamble is getting ready for the adventure of a lifetime. She will be taking a break from her work in James Shapiro's lab to embark on a backpacking trip of the North Coast Trail this August as part of the 2017 Connected in Motion Adventure Team. Along with her teammates, Anissa will hike 58 km through the wilderness.
This trail is an arduous hike through extremely wet, muddy conditions, in a park where encounters with dangerous wildlife are common and water sources are far and few between. The hike itself, however, won't be the most challenging part of this adventure for Anissa and her teammates, who will have to overcome all of these obstacles in addition to battling the ups and downs of having Type 1 diabetes.
"I'm excited to see the West Coast, but being away from civilization scares me," remarks Anissa, who expresses concern alongside her excitement, about managing her blood sugar levels while in the wilderness. Unable to produce enough insulin to control their blood sugar levels, people with Type 1 diabetes are always at risk of high or low blood sugar, both of which can have serious medical implications. In the wilderness Anissa will be far from medical care, and therefore faces more danger than the average backpacker.
The Connected in Motion Adventure Team consists of Anissa and 12 other participants with Type 1 diabetes chosen from a large group of applicants across North America. Connected in Motion is a not-for-profit organization that works to create a culture of support and engagement in diabetes self-management through peer-based experiential diabetes education, sport, and outdoor adventures-with the goal of redefining what it means to live with diabetes.
Support Anissa
If you would like to support Anissa on the 2017 Adventure Team for Connected in Motion please visit Anissa's
Fundraising Page.
Each participant must raise $2500 before starting their adventure on August 11, 2017. The proceeds will cover trip costs, as well as funding for Connected in Motion supporting others with Type 1 diabetes to have similar experiences.