Our vision is to ensure all people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes have access to affordable and simple information.
This crucial information will help save their lives.
“At Driving Diabetes we provide you with the knowledge and skills to be the driver of your diabetes. If you never learn to drive, you’ll always be the passenger. It’s time for you to gain confidence in making the important decisions that impact your future health.“
By creating this online content and community, we can now support so many more people with type 2 diabetes and make a much greater difference to so many more lives than we were able to do, obviously, with individual consultations.
Reading about us below will give you a sense of how we really understand time and energy restraints with a busy lifestyle, and how prioritising your own health can be challenging. This is why we’re here and doing what we love, and are amazing at, for YOU.
The ‘real’ Helen
As a mother of 3 primary school aged children, I don’t get a lot of ‘free’ time to enjoy hobbies. I love to read; however, I hope to read a book other than my 6-year old’s home reader one day soon… In fact, I have a novel that’s sat beside my bed for the past two years waiting to be read! I also have a kitchen appliance (yes, to save me time!) that’s been gathering dust since I moved to the Gold Coast from Adelaide three years ago. One day I hope to use this appliance to make bread from scratch.
I incorporate my love of exercise by chasing my kids around, along with house cleaning, food shopping…and so on. One thing I do make time for is regular lap swimming which keeps me focused and less stressed.
I love people and I love the moments when people notice positive health changes as a result of their own efforts. What makes me sad is there’s still so many people who aren’t yet aware of their need for the information that I have to share with them.
This is why I am so passionate about what we are developing for our Driving Diabetes members and I’m excited to meet you here.
The ‘work’ Helen
I have extensive experience in diabetes prevention and management, with a particular focus on healthy eating and lifestyle change, implemented clinically in private, community and remote sectors.
I’ve seen that regardless of where people live, their financial circumstances, their educational level or culture, too many are not receiving the essential information on how to manage their diabetes in a way that they understand and is achievable for them.
I’m a passionate advocate for reducing or eliminating these barriers to ensure everyone has the information and skills to self-manage their condition and have the opportunity to dramatically reduce the risks of preventable diabetes complications.
Inspired to find creative ways to address this need, I’ve also been instrumental in creating and managing new models for best practice diabetes education both face to face and on-line.
The ‘real’ Amanda
I’m the mother of a 12-year-old boy, and we share our home with a Cavoodle and two budgies. I’ve lived on the Gold Coast for seven years, having spent the previous seven in the Whitsundays, where I became a marriage celebrant for a couple of years.
I love change – I’ve moved countless times, and anything new… new ideas, new people, new information, new places. I’m an extrovert but also enjoy my own space where I can just be me. I value fun and freedom, which I infuse into both my home and work life.
I’m not a natural exercise lover, partially because I’m easily side-tracked (which is not an excuse). I was diagnosed with ADHD five years ago, no surprise to most people who know me, but so helpful in understanding myself. What makes me tick, why I’m amazing at some things and not so amazing at others! My diary, alarms and visuals have become my best friends ☺
Like Helen, I also have books (other than diabetes related) to read when I get my holiday that is way overdue; and oil paints waiting to see if I just happen to be a natural artist!
The ‘work’ Amanda
I’ve been working in Diabetes Education for over 25 years and I’m passionate about making diabetes easy to understand and manage. Being a visual learner, I love developing content that’s simple and visual for others to learn and retain information more easily and quickly. Really, who has time to read pages of words and it could all be said in a colourful visual?
I’ve been involved in setting up a hospital diabetes service, educating nurses through conferences, and onsite in Aged Care Facilities, developing resources to simplify learning, and for the past 15 years I’ve been working in private practice.
Due to the increasing number of people developing type 2 diabetes, especially after years of pre-diabetes, and the lack of education and resources available to many of them, I’ve seen too many people with diabetes developing complications. This has been generally due to them not knowing the questions to ask their doctor or health professionals, or having the skills and knowledge to effectively manage their condition. With Driving Diabetes we aim to change this for as many people as possible.