Gabriel's Life

“Kate is one of the kindest, most inspiring people I’ve ever met,” says her brother Pete Finlayson. So inspiring that five members of the Stanford Varsity Water Polo Team and a Stanford University staff member plan on joining her brothers Pete and Sam Finlayson for the 16th Annual Sharkfest. They’re doing this in order to generate awareness and raise funding with the hope of encouraging research for hydrocephalus. Kate, now 23, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus shortly after her birth and it remains a fact of life for her and an estimated one million Americans.

Once a competitive swimmer herself, Kate now struggles with complications associated with hydrocephalus. In recent years these have required over 60 surgeries. Because of this Kate finished high school bedridden and has recently been forced stop-out of college. A particularly rough recent hospitalization inspired her brothers to help however they could. By participating in Sharkfest with their teammates they are furthering awareness and empowerment for their sister and everyone living with this condition.

The Sharkfest is an annual 1.5-mile swim from Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park that will take place on June 28th. At 9:00 am Kate’s brothers, Pete and Sam Finlayson formerly of San Ramon Valley High School in Alamo, CA, along with four friends from Stanford and roughly 800 other participants will crowd the shipping lanes of San Francisco Bay in this annual test of endurance in the icy cold, powerful tides.

“As a former water polo player for Cal, water polo is excellent training for swimming the Bay,” says Dave Horning, Executive Producer of Enviro-Sports Productions, Inc. “They’re challenging themselves to do something challenging to raise funds for others who are challenged. That’s challenging to the 3rd power and that’s what Sharkfest is about. Go Bears!!!”

Proceeds from the Stanford Team Hydro’s participation will go to The Hydrocephalus Association, a San Francisco based non-profit dedicated to support, education and advocacy for people living with Hydrocephalus.

“Efforts such as this, make a difference in what we are trying to accomplish,” says Marybeth Godlewski, the Hydrocephalus Association’s National Advocacy Director. These five young men are competing in the Sharkfest on behalf of their sister and friend. They are lighting a flame of awareness that adds itself to other similar efforts to make a lasting difference. Every day more and more people across the country are speaking out and becoming involved with our work. It is inspirational, it is motivational and it’s about time our voices were heard!”

Kate Finlayson is 23 and despite recent setbacks she plans to return to college and finish her degree in nursing so that she can help others living with chronic medical conditions.