Chris Jarvis has beaten the odds to become an Olympian. At age 13 he was diagnosed with diabetes but that didn't deter him from practicing his love of sports whether it was rowing or football. He was a two-time rowing MVP in high school which earned him a scholarship at Northeastern University in Boston There he battled his illness and tough coaches to become a star rower for the school. He was named team captain his senior year.
He helped Canada win silver in the men's eights at the under 23 worlds in 2002 then moved to the national training centre in Victoria in 2003. He has completed four of five years toward his degree in chemical engineering. Jarvis has taken a year off from his studies to focus on the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Jarvis was a winner of the 2004 DESA Athletic Achievement Award sponsored by Lifescan, a company that makes diabetes monitoring products.
