Diabetes inclusion facilitator has been difference-maker for summer-campers
Aug 27, 2026
As the first-ever diabetes inclusion facilitator for WinSport’s summer camps, Sierra Nelson was able to immediately relate to the 60 kids she worked most closely to support throughout this summer.
Nelson is a Type 1 diabetic. She was diagnosed when she was seven years old.
“I find that the most meaningful thing for me is when kids grow in their own confidence managing their diabetes and are sort of able to pass the torch and they come to me and they advocate for themselves,” Nelson said. “It makes me so proud of them, seeing them grow in their confidence and ability to advocate for themselves and manage their health.”
Those powerful moments repeated themselves time and time again this summer.
Nelson’s position at WinSport was created in collaboration with I Challenge Diabetes, a national organization founded by a former Olympic rower.
“WinSport has done a fabulous job bringing in this empowerment and support for kids living with Type 1 diabetes and a commitment to giving them the same camp experience as everybody else,” said Nelson, who also excelled as an athlete, competing at the national level as a moguls skier. “That would look like checking in on the kids, helping them to monitor their blood sugars, helping them to be independent and manage their diabetes using whatever strategies they like to, and just supporting them so that they feel like they can be independent and feel confident with their condition.”
Nelson was one of three dedicated inclusion facilitators on WinSport’s summer camp staff for 2026. They supported a wide range of campers, from those with autism, ADHD and physical limitations to those who were feeling homesickness, stress or overstimulation.
The process typically starts with parents sending an email to inclusion@winsport.ca to coordinate any specialized support that their child may need.
It is heartwarming for WinSport’s Team Members to receive thank-yous and follow-ups from many of those same parents. Earlier this summer, one wrote: “Your team was awesome!! BE PROUD! You have been the best prepared and most open facility we have experienced.”
“It can be a gamechanger for a parent to hear, if their kid is having a tough time saying goodbye in the morning or has ADHD and has a tough time transitioning between activities quickly, that there is somebody here whose job is to help them through that process,” said Ethan Berg, WinSport’s Manager, Sport & Recreation. “It can be a gamechanger for that to be there, and we have heard that from parents all through the summer.
“The inclusion facilitators, they don’t just help the kids that they work with. It really lets the leaders shine. It lets the camp instructors really make the whole group be able to participate all week. So it helps every kid in camp.”
Because the goal is to ensure that every kid has an enjoyable and memorable camp experience.
That’s something that Nelson is passionate about.
“It’s so awesome to see kids just be kids and be able to play and embrace connections with each other while also managing diabetes on the side,” she said. “It’s super inspiring to see these kids connect with their peers, be able to talk to others who also face diabetes as a challenge, and be able to just be kids and play like kids and have positive experiences at camp that they might not have if WinSport wasn’t able to provide these resources that help to support them.”