Honorees
Several individuals from across the state have agreed to share their stories as a part of the Team Challenge program this summer. These young ladies are here to help the team in any way that they can and are very much looking forward to taking on this challenge with our athletes. They are our
HONORED TEAMMATES!
Allison Beveridge Katie Blicharz Julia Diegel
When Allison Beveridge was diagnosed with Crohn's when she was 10 years old it was hard to believe at first it was possible to have a "normal" life. However, now at the age of 24, Allison says her diagnosis is one of the best things to ever happen to her and she wouldn't want anything different. Through the CCFA She met some amazing people and been able to be part of camp for six years, which is one of her favorite parts of summer. Allison graduated from Central Michigan University in May 2008 with a BS in Public Health Education and am is excited to continue on with her education this May as she was just recently accepted to the University of Detroit Mercy's Accelerated Nursing Degree Program. She hopes to one day work with those with chronic illnesses to help them realize it doesn't have to control their life. Outside of school Allison spends a lot of time with her friends, family, and her dog, Comet. She loves the outdoors, reading, music, and volunteering.
Katie Blicharz is a 21 year old junior at Michigan State University majoring in Special Education: Learning Disabilities with a concentration in Social Studies/Geography. She is originally from Dearborn, Michigan and has two younger sisters and very large amount of aunts, uncles, and cousins – all of which I remain quite close to. I am Polish and very involved in my heritage; I have Polish danced for fifteen years. This past summer I had the great pleasure of becoming a first time camp counselor at Camp Oasis and it was one of the best opportunities I have ever had. I am known for my extensive knowledge of all things Hollywood. Maroon 5 is my all time favorite band and I’ve been to many of their concerts. I love to read books and will read as many as possible in my free time.While I do keep very active with all of my interests and goals as much as possible, Crohns has sometimes put a hold on my plans. I have had Crohns disease now for 6 years. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was entering my freshman year of high school, only to find out four years later after quite a scary case of dehydration that I was in fact misdiagnosed and needed a new form of treatment.
When she was four, Julia Diegel was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and Sclerosing Cholangitis. As young as she was, it was difficult for her to understand what she was going through and why she was experiencing so much pain and discomfort. At that time, there were a limited number of programs that reached out to younger children who were diagnosed with IBD. Julia often felt as if she was the only one suffering from this disease because she did not know others with IBD whom she could confide in about her problems and concerns. However, Julia never let her disease control her life. Currently, Julia is stable and suffers very few if no flare-ups. Julia loves to travel. Since the age of fifteen, she has traveled to France, England, the Netherlands, Italy and Russia and hopes to go abroad again this summer for an internship! Julia's favorite foods are ice cream, bread and cheese. In fact, Julia has books on all the different kinds of cheese throughout the world. She tries to stay as active as possible so in her free time Julia plays tennis and runs. Her goal is to run a half-marathon this spring in Ann Arbor and to compete in an Iron man one day. One of her guilty pleasures is shark week. Julia and her best friend watch it religiously every year. The ironic part is that I am completely terrified of sharks.