Hi! I’m Monica!

I was diagnosed with type one diabetes 19 years ago at age 9. I have had my fair share of fears with type 1 diabetes, but not anymore!

Between powerlifting, travelling the world solo, and landing my dream job, I’ve learned to take all of life’s challenges in strides and see it as an opportunity to learn and get better everyday!

Laura is a Nurse Practitioner and Psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience in health care. Laura completed both undergraduate and graduate level degrees, in addition to a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner certification at Ryerson University in Toronto. She has additional training through University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and The Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

In addition to neurosciences, the major focus of Laura's work has been chronic illness management with a keen interest in the mind-body connection. Living with a chronic illness for the past 25 years has also provided Laura with the unique first-hand experience individuals and families face.

Chris Jarvis is a former Canadian Olympic rower who has been living with type 1 diabetes for more than 25 years. He was a member of the National Canadian Olympic Rowing team from 2002-2009 and raced in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Greece as well as the 2007 Pan Am Games where he won a gold medal.

Julia was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 13. She attended a number of I Challenge Diabetes’ events before joining the organization. As a member of ICD's Youth Council she helped develop and led a number of programs focused on supporting children and youth with diabetes. Julia joined I Challenge Diabetes as a staff member in 2017 and now oversees the Youth Council, helping to mentor the next generation of leaders. She is also a former varsity rower and dressage champion, medaling in the BC Summer Games.