Jen Alexander was diagnosed with T1D in 1988 at the age of 13. She was the first person to swim — with diabetes or not — from New Brunswick to PEI and then back to New Brunswick.

Jen was awarded the Canadian Diabetes Association's (Diabetes Canada's) Inspiration Award in 2007, and received the international Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association "Athlete of the Year" award in 2008. She volunteered with Children with Diabetes for seven years.

Jen believes in the power of people and the power of data to make and motivate change. Jen created Type 1 Together to make life a little easier for people living with T1D.

Jen Alexander is @JenA on the Type 1 Together forum.

Rachel Claveau lives in the broader Montréal region in Quebec. She was diagnosed with T1D in 1996 at the age of 11. Rachel has more than 10 years of experience in translation. She strongly believes that all Canadians have the right of access to the same information in both official languages. She is currently responsible for the French section of Type 1 Together Web site.

Rachel is @Rachel204 on the Type 1 Together forum.

Jen Jesso grew up in BC’s Lower Mainland and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1991 at the age of nine. She has also been legally blind since infancy.

Jen has participated in grassroots, consumer-driven Canadian advocacy groups for individuals who are blind and visually impaired for the past ten years. In 2005, Jen discovered the network of blogs, forums, and social media sites that form the diabetes online community. She found that being able to connect with others living with type 1 diabetes had a profoundly positive impact on both her diabetes management and awareness of available resources.

Jen strongly believes in the power of groups to accomplish more than individuals can alone. Jen Jesso is @JenJ on the Type 1 Together forum.