The spirit of love and compassion was strong again this year as we rallied together in support of this great cause. Hugs were shared and tears were shed as we reflected on the lives of those no longer with us, and the uncertainty that those still here face. We won’t rest until people no longer need to suffer at the hands of hydrocephalus. A photo of the team shortly before boarding the ferry is below!
Much more to follow, but a few highlights we wanted to call out from today…in no particular order!
- Kyle Voulgaris placed 7th overall…out of ~1,000 swimmers!
- Kate Damrell was joined by her older brother AND both parents! Kate ROCKED it, and she’s excited to have her younger brother swim with us in 2017!
- Kate and Kyle are two of our swimmers living with hydrocephalus!
- Sonia Podvin, the researcher who received the very first Team Hydro grant, made the trip from warm San Diego to brave the freezing cold waters of San Francisco!!
- The Team Hydro roster included two Australian blokes, and a wonderful man from Columbia — they found us online! It is so inspiring to see the global reach of our efforts…and it was cool to share about the research we are supporting at Piper Lab at the University of Queensland!
- Greg Osborn (cancer survivor, vietnam vet, with multiple artificial joints) completed the swim for his 7th(!) time this year. Incredible man!
- Kate Finlayson’s mom Pam swam again this year, carrying her daughter in her heart. Such an inspiration to us all!
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from the freezing waters off the rocky shores of Alcatraz! 🙂
