Lydia Janzen

Lydia is the most self-less person I have ever known. Her constant concern is someone other than herself. She is a tireless local community volunteer. She is also a board volunteer for a national charity. Lydia is a dedicated and professional caregiver (nurse). She has a gentle and tender bedside manner so difficult and rare to find these days. Her nurturing nature and love of caring for people has taken her to India, the Middle East and Canada's far north. From charity walks/ runs and absailing tall buildings in the UK to accompanying non-sighted individuals on hiking expeditions in Peru, Lydia is invigorated and energized by challenges in doing for others. Lydia also manages to keep in regular touch with Canadian childhood friends as well as the elderly in the Durham County village where she resides. In addition to being creative for special occasions, she has a gift for never forgetting a birthday or anniversary. To this day she is the tie that binds the four siblings in her family together with a love that is unconditional. Lydia motivated me to climb Mount Kilimanjaro at a time when I considered it to be quite impossible & I made it to the summit with no small thanks to her! Lydia also encouraged me to apply to be a torchbearer for the 2010 Vancouer Winter Olympics. I was selected and it remains one of my favourite memories of my life. I feel no one is more deserving to carry the torch for the 2012 London Olympics than my dear sister, Lydia. 'tireless local community volunteer' - time that would be spent volunteering is now being spent caring for my husband's 91 year old Mother.