In 2016, Barrie physicians Drs Darlene Newnham and Richard Goudie's son Lukas was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) at the age of 14.

In 2018, Lukas's parents combined their passion for cycling with their desire to raise awareness and funds to improve the lives of youth with T1D. Since no large scale outdoor cycling event existed in Canada, they created the Tour de T1D. To date, their ride has seen over 300 riders and raised over $80,000.00. Their dream is to see this ride become a recognized annual T1D event drawing riders from all over Canada.