Rachel Winnipeg, Manitoba

Fair address: Red River Heritage Fair

Project: Sir Frederick Banting

My project is about an amazing Canadian named Sir Frederick Banting. He came up with a way to extract and purify insulin for successful use in humans. I will be telling you about this great accomplishment, and his role in Canadian history.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

I learned so many things from my research, but what stood out most for me was what I learned about diabetes, how the pancreas functions, and how and why insulin is produced. It is great that a Canadian made such an important discovery in this area.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I have learned that it is important to know that if you work hard, you can achieve anything. Banting always tried his hardest, and even though many of his experiments failed and disappointed people, he didn't quit. Look at how successful he turned out to be, and what an important difference he made.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Back then, diabetes was a pretty bad disease. If you had it, there was nothing you could do to avoid getting sicker and sicker. Now, because of Banting, diabetes isn't dreaded. If I were to develop diabetes, I would be able to control it with insulin, unlike those before Banting's time.