Chloe Steepe: empowered, inspired and active!

This past weekend, I had the chance to catch up with Chloe Steepe, founder of Connected in Motion, an organization dedicated to uniting and inspiring people with type 1 diabetes through outdoor, experiential learning.  Established just a year ago, Connected in Motion is growing quickly and, by bringing type 1′s together to share their knowledge and personal experiences, Chloe is already changing the face of diabetes education in Canada.

Tell us a little bit about Connected in Motion and what inspired you to start it.

It takes a little bit of history in terms of what inspired it and why it exists.  I was diagnosed when I was 18 and, because of that, missed out on the whole pediatric side of diabetes and camps and pretty much any opportunity to meet people my own age with diabetes.  I just thought that diabetes was something that you did on your own.  It wasn’t until the past couple years that I had the opportunity to meet some people my own age with diabetes and, not only that, but people who have like interests – interests in the outdoors and being physically active.  I realized that I have a huge need for knowing other people with diabetes and I needed more support than what was available through the hospital system.

Last year, I was down in Australia and New Zealand doing some travelling and cycle touring.  I found this group called HypoActive.  It’s a group of Australians, based out of Melbourne, who get together and do some fun events every year.  They were having a cycling event while I was down there.  There was about twenty of us, all with type 1.  All our drivers, all our support crew, everybody had type 1.  Learning how to ride with a group of cyclists, you basically keep close together and draft in behind each other.  In doing so, you can conserve your energy and, as a group, you can travel way farther, way faster than anybody could on their own.  And it hit me as I was cycling – that whole weekend, it was like I was in a slipstream just being surrounded by other people like myself with diabetes.  It really empowered me and inspired me.  Not that things were any easier but it felt easier to have diabetes that weekend because everybody around me did.  And so, that idea of a slipstream just sort of stuck with me.  And I said, you know what, I need to make my own slipstream when I come back to Canada.

Do you have plans to expand across the country?  I know you’re currently centralized around Toronto.

We are expanding already, yeah.  Just last week I booked the first weekend of October at a camp in Nova Scotia.  And I’m working with some people on the West Coast to hopefully get out to Vancouver Island soon.  So, you’ll have to come!

Definitely!  Since Connected in Motion has been up and running (pun intended), have you seen participants become more confident when it comes to managing the balancing act of blood sugar, exercise, food and insulin requirements?

This is actually something that I’m really keen to pursue and do a little bit more research on as we run more events.  What is the impact of being involved in a program like this?  I think definitely as a result of the Winter Slipstream Weekend, people came away with new tidbits and new things that they were going to try.  The very first night people arrived around seven o’clock and about nine o’clock a girl came up to me and said, “I could go home right now.  This is amazing!  I just learned that I can put my infusion set in my arm.  I never even knew that!  Why didn’t anybody ever tell me this before?!”

Your determination to get outside and get active is really inspirational.  From canoe tripping to dog sledding to bicycle touring, it seems you’re up for anything!  So, if I were to tell you that you just won the My Favourite Number Million Dollar Lottery, what would be your next big adventure?

There’s a long list of things that I would love to do but what I really want to do right now, and something that I’m working on, is the idea of making Connected in Motion mobile, something that can be accessible to people with diabetes across the country.  What I would absolutely love to do with a million dollars would be to buy a funky, old tour bus and put together a team of Slipstreamers, or people who are living their lives without limits, get on a bus and tour across the country from east to west.

What has been your greatest tool or resource for leading such an active lifestyle?

For me, when I think about my diabetes, I think that knowledge is freedom.  I really try and learn as much as I can about diabetes and about what sort of impact exercise has.  I try to track everything that happens so that I can feel really confident that I have the knowledge to deal with situations as they arise.  Diabetes totally can be a barrier but not one that can’t be overcome.

When you’re going to be active, how do you prepare diabetes wise?  Have you ever experienced a major diabetes emergency?

Knock on wood, I have not.  I’m lucky to be able to feel my lows and they’ll wake me up in the middle of the night.  In terms of being prepared, it totally depends on the exercise that I’m about to partake in.  I wear a pump so I do a lot of basal reductions.  I always carry glucose on me.  When I go running, I shove stuff in my socks.

What advice do you have for Type 1′s who want to tackle a new workout, sport or other exercise challenge?

Go for it.  Experiential education is so key and, for me, it’s really the only way – especially with diabetes.  You can read so much and talk to your doctor so much but, ultimately, it’s what works for you.  You really do just have to go out and do it.

Can you tell us about some of Connected in Motion’s upcoming events?

Next weekend, here in Toronto, there is a little 10km run so there’s a few of us going to wear our Connected in Motion t-shirts and do the run.  There’s a few of us who are going to Ottawa at the end of May.  Some of us are going to try a half marathon and some are going to do the 10km.  June 7th there’s a bunch of us entered in this thing called the Mud Run.  It’s a 5km run and it’s apparently like an obstacle course with mud pits and climbing over and crawling under…it should be fun.  We’ve got the canoe trip coming up in August and then the next Slipstream Weekend in Nova Scotia in October.

And finally, what is your favourite number?

Well, it’s always been seven but I don’t really know why.  That’s just sort of always what it’s been.  Seven’s not bad when it comes to blood glucose either so I’d have to go with seven.

Thank you, Chloe!  And good luck keeping your pump clean at the Mud Run!