Laurier Golden Hawks Locks for Love!

My name is Kate Vanderbeek, I am a Kinesiology student, and Captain of Women's Swimming at Wilfrid Laurier University. I am reaching out to my family, friends, and community for support this swim season.

FOR EVERY $100 DONATED TO MY CAMPAIGN, I WILL CUT OFF 1 INCH OF HAIR!

As many of you know my luscious locks are very important to me, but I am willing to do something fun for a greater cause! The cut will be made just prior to 2016 Olympic Trials this coming April. I have decided to donate my hair along with 10% of total contributions collected by April 2016 to Beautiful Lengths

The remaining portion of donations will go towards supporting my teammates and I in the pool at Laurier. I have personally qualified for, and will be attending Canadain Olympic Trials April 5th-10th. Myself, and many others on this team have big goals, and we would be grateful for your support!

Thank you in advance to those of you who donate :)

Feel free to check out my Motivational Diary - https://www.facebook.com/mtvatedsociety/videos/vb....

-

My Story [for those of you that don't already know me!]

Competitive swimming has been an essential tool in shaping me into the woman I am today. I have learned countless life lessons and gained tremendous experience through my involvement in the sport. My parents discovered my love for water when I was just 4 months old, and immediately enrolled me in lessons. I couldn’t get enough. At age four, I joined a club where my personal journey into the world of competitive swimming began.

During my first few years with the Hamilton Aquatic Club, I was taught the fundamentals of training and racing. I advanced quickly, and by age eight had achieved my first Provincial Standard time. My success as a child left me with a desire to achieve excellence; to strive, and to compete. I set my sights on Canadian Senior Nationals. The five years that followed were a road paved with obstacles. With hard work, perseverance and an incredible support system I qualified for Canadian Senior Nationals at age 13. I continued to push forward, and the following year had the privilege of competing at Olympic Trials, which was one of the most moving experiences of my adolescence.

Following my early success, due to financial hardship and athlete burnout I was forced to take a step back from what had become my way of life. I was upset, but what I perceived as unfair at the time was a blessing in disguise. I had the chance over the next 4 years to develop other aspects of my life. Pursuing a potential career in Law Enforcement at Mohawk College was a stepping-stone but I desired to further my education, which brought me to Wilfrid Laurier University. It was at this moment that I saw my window of opportunity; I had a second chance to swim, this time as a Golden Hawk.

My past two seasons as a Golden Hawk have been nothing short of incredible. It gives me great pleasure to know that I have given myself a second chance to wake up and continually better myself on a daily basis. My experience at Laurier has provided me with a wealth of knowledge and I realize that this is the first step of many I must take in order to achieve the goals I have set out for myself. The University has also pushed me to achieve numerous goals with the help of the athletic and academic supports, as well as the coaching staff. In the 2013/2014 season, I qualified for CIS championships, raced onto the podium at OUA Championships, and was an A-finalist at CIS Championships 2014. Bringing my 2013/2014 season to an end, I received Women’s Swimming MVP & Rookie of the Year Awards. Over the summer of 2014, I continued to train and compete nationally with the Oakville Aquatic Club. At the commencement of the 2014/2015 varsity season, I was selected as Women’s Swimming Captain, and awarded Women's Swimming MVP. With my continued dedication to achieving my goals, I made it onto the podium numerous times throughout the season. I am the only member from both of Laurier’s men & women’s swim swimming that qualified and competed at the 2015 CIS Championships, and PanAm & World Trials. Throughout the summer, I trained diligently and competed at Canadian Senior Nationals in August.

None of this success would have been possible without the tireless dedication of the coaching and support staff. They give such a large part of their lives to their passion of helping athletes thrive. My fellow Golden Hawks and I, as a team want to continue to have successes like these and represent Laurier with excellence and pride. The pool is our house, Laurier is our home and WE ARE GOLDEN HAWKS!

Please help my teammates and I be the best that we can be.

Thank you :)