I went on one of the kayaking tours that he organized and I admired how active he was. 

Mark went kayaking with our group on the river and he would save those who tip their boats over and swim and make sure they're back safely on their kayaks. 

We would stop for lunch and he and the other guides would prepare the meals and then clean up afterwards and then go on a kayak trip again in the afternoon. At night we pick out the campsite, then he and the guides will prepare meals, clean up, set the the support raft up for the night.

It was on the third day that I noticed that Mark would be sitting on the side of the cockpit of the raft and bring out his diabetes kit. 

He would draw out the amount of insulin he needed to cover his activity and his diet. I found out that he has been diabetic for more than 20 years and he has managed to be very active and healthy while at the same time managing his diagnosis.

He is what I would call a very “healthy diabetic” and he lives his fitness goals every day.

He never complained about his diabetes. But he knew that if he felt that he was getting tired, first thing he would do is to check his blood sugar. 

Out on the river it's hard to do that because then you have to find a dry spot, park your kayak out of the water, bring out your cleaning supplies (alcohol pad) to clean your finger, make sure the needle you're using to check the blood sugar is clean; make sure you don't get sand on your meter. 

And then, if you need to cover for high blood sugar then you'll have to get the insulin which is in a cold pack; draw out the medicine with the syringe and then administer the insulin. He has to be sure that the skin where it goes to, is dry and and clean. Then he has to pack it all up put it in a watertight container and then go back to kayaking in the river.

Apart from workers in areas dealing with hazardous materials, I could not think of a harder way to do one’s job and manage being an insulin-dependent diabetes at the same time. 

I really admire Mark for going after his passion and rising do the challenge of going after his goals and being a healthy diabetic.

He is not only one of my main examples of a very healthy diabetic, he is one of a few people I know that I can say is a very healthy person.

In the big scheme of things, the diabetes focus is just that - a focus. 

We are at our very core, healthy beings! 

We go through life with challenges that may be temporary or physically permanent. It is our choice to make the most out of it. It is our choice to bring our best selves to it.

I am sure his doctors discouraged Mark from working the way he does and going after his passion the way he does. Because in the average world, people set up their limits according to their diagnosis. 

I admire and am inspired by people like Mark who go beyond the box of their diagnosis and go for more.

I am excited to attract people like Mark in my program, the Diagnosis Shift for Diabetes. Because people like Mark have ups and downs too. 

I want this program to be there when people are in their ups and when they're in their downs and in the days in between. 

I want to keep building a community of like-minded diabetics who are giving all they got every day and working towards their fitness goals. 

I want a group where people come, not only to get help, but to give support to everybody in the group knowing that we are all in this together.