Age: 17
Age at T1D diagnosis: 11

As a child, Christina was worried about “catching” T1D. When she developed the (noncontagious) disease at 11, she realized “‘Catching’ type 1 diabetes is not like getting a cold, where you eventually get better … My constant dependence on needing to administer insulin at exactly the right times 24 hours a day, 365 days a year is the reason why a cure is so important.”

Christina harnessed her fears and now lives a life full of activity (hiking, camping, skiing, snowboarding, varsity golf … and the list goes on!) and longtime advocacy with JDRF. Her objectives are ambitious and clear cut: to develop an artificial pancreas or cellular transport system for insulin, to create outreach for teens with T1D, and to find a cure. Based on Christina’s impressive track record, all bets are on her achieving all of the above.