Speakers: Dave Thoen

Topic: Life with Type I Diabetes – Before and After a Clinical Trial Islet Transplant

Dave will provide his story of living with Type I diabetes for over 20 years, which includes some very high moments and very low moments. He will also describe participating in a clinical trial to get an islet transplant – the waiting, the uncertainty, the transplants, and the results.

Dave Thoen was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes age the age of 23, what he considered the “prime time of his life.”  The diagnosis was a huge surprise that brought many changes to his life.  His early upbringings in a small Scandinavian family and community gave him the background to work very hard and be extremely diligent at controlling his disease.  This hard work had many positive consequences, but at the same time significant negative consequences.

Dave qualified for a clinical trial at the Schulz Diabetes Institute in 2006, and in 2008 and 2009, Dave was the recipient of two islet transplants.  These transplants have changed Dave and his family’s life significantly as it relates to the care, treatment, and living with diabetes.

Dave was an Olympic Torch Bearer for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, a 2002 Hamline University “Making the World a Better Place Award” winner, a Deloitte & Touche LLP Community Impact Award winner in 2003, and an inaugural recipient of the Twin Cities Marathon Medtronic Global Heroes Award in 2006.

Dave and his wife of over 20 years, Denise, live in Bloomington with their sons Reese (15) and Riley (13).

Speakers: Marian Elmquist

Topic: Ski for Light

Marion Elmquist is the retired COO of a small technology business that provided services for meetings and conferences. Prior to that, she served in executive editorial capacities for business magazines, based in Chicago, and worked in marketing and advertising. She holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois.

But, her real passions lie in skiing and in volunteer work. Always an active volunteer, Marion became involved with Ski for Light in 1992 and has been a volunteer guide ever since. She became a member of the SFL board and its executive committee in 1998 as secretary. Since then she has served as vice president and has chaired several committees. She was elected president in February, 2008.

Ski for Light is based on the Norwegian program for visually and mobility impaired cross country skiers, and Marion has guided at the Ridderrenn for 15 years and has led the SFL group to Norway for the past 10 years.

Marion now lives in her hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, and also teaches Alpine skiing parttime in Vail, Colorado, and serves on a number of other boards.

Speaker: Torild Homstad

Topic: Oslo Summer School

June 4, 2011