I've decided to also share this blog with the TuD community! Visit the original blog, The Space Between, HERE!
I am starting to wonder whether I just have an uncanny luck and always find myself surrounded by the most amazing community of people with Type 1, or whether somehow, the community is actually following ME (don't think about that too long, it might make you paranoid!)
This weekend (as with almost every weekend), we headed to crash and Chloe and Rob’s place in Canmore, yet again. We had heard the mountains had been absolutely enveloped in amazing snow on Friday and couldn’t resist seeing it for ourselves! (I’d post pictures if I could figure out how to get them OFF of my brother’s camera, which I have borrowed for the month!)
Chloe has been building quite the amazing community of adults living with Type 1 in the Bow Valley. The Connected in Motion momentum is really spreading! One of our new Slipstreamers, Lauren, works as an ambassador for lululemon Banff. The store had wholeheartedly embraced Lauren’s idea to promote awareness for Type 1 diabetes.
Lululemon Banff hooked Connected in Motion up with the ENTIRE storefront for the ENTIRE day and let (should I be saying ‘let’?) us take on the challenge of cycling on trainers for EIGHT HOURS in order to spark people’s attention and to raise awareness about Type 1.
We decorated the front of the store with signs and banners donning diabetes facts and myths. We had balloons, bikes and an amazing group to support our mission.
The people at lululemon Banff were so amazing to us. The were constantly cheering us on, checking on us and filling our water bottles. They helped spread the word about what we were doing and why we were doing it. We had the chance to interact with hundreds of locals and tourists as they strolled through the store. We pulled out our pumps to educate the public and kept a running tally of how many times we, collectively, had tested our BGs during the day… A tally that we posted prominently inside the store. We each wore a sign attached to our bicycle that proudly announced: “I have Type 1 diabetes” along with the estimated number of finger pokes and insulin injections we had each done in our lives.
Although I did not stay and cycle for the entire eight hours, the four hours that I did put in was enough to prove, without a doubt, how amazing these other girls were who only dismounted to run to the washroom or to grab a quick snack (or for Stephanie, a lasagna!)
I am so proud of the diabetes community that surrounds me and realize that I am so lucky that I seem able to find this community no matter where in the world I may wander.
A huge thank you to Lauren for setting up the ride, to Stephanie for riding alongside me for the morning (and for inspiring me with your amazing stories of your ironman races!), to Chloe for living your dream and letting us all tag along, and to lululemon Banff for your amazing support, enthusiasm and smiles!
Check out the entire album of photos on the CIM Facebook Page as well as on the lululemon athletica Banff Facebook Page.