Competing with the world

A year before sprint kayak’s World Championship in Rio de Janeiro, and three years before Rio hosts the Olympics, Hawaii is nurturing new paddlers to join Ryan Dolan in his Brazil-or-bust quest.

Last summer, 2011 Mid-Pacific Institute graduate Kalei Kaho’okele won at 500 meters in the World Championships Va’a (Outrigger) Sprints in Canada. After returning for a family reunion, he flew to nationals in Seattle and claimed gold in two Olympic events (K4 1,000 meters and K2 200) and was second in K1 200.

Kamehameha sophomore Kawika Kaleleiki is one of five American boys headed to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., next month after his performance at 200 and 1,000 meters at the U.S. Trials last month. Later in the summer, he has major competitions in Canada and the Czech Republic.

Kaho’okele and Kaleleiki work with former Australian Olympian Shelley Oates-Wilding, who now coaches IKAIKA Hawaii.

"She gave me the drive and the determination," said Kaho’okele, who has worked with Wilding three years. "She knows what needs to be done and how it needs to be done, and she’s guiding me through that path. Her being there is a big help. Without people like her and supporters along the way, I wouldn’t be where I am already."

He characterizes his short- and long-term goals as one in the same — the 2016 Olympics.

Kaleleiki started paddling five years ago and met Kaho’okele when he moved to Keahiakahoe. Those whose judgment he trustedat the club told him if he wanted to get better he had to get into a kayak.

"I liked it so I tried to get better," Kaleleiki recalled. "Aunty Shelley came out one day and said ‘let’s try K1’s on the Ala Wai.’ Normally I couldn’t make it 5 inches before I flipped. I kept trying, thinking ‘Oh God, I’ve got to get this. It’s so irritating, why can’t I do it?’ I just kept trying."

He started with Wilding at Ikaika a year ago, sticking with kayak for one addictive reason — "It’s fast," Kaleleiki said. "I liked it because it was just a lot faster."

With the help of their close-knit paddling community and Wilding, he and Kaho’okele are on the cusp of competing with the world.

Wilding describes Kaho’okele as "full of potential, respect, loyalty, appreciation, understanding of commitment and giving to others, as well as being humble."

Now she sees the same in Kaleleiki.

"Occasionally kids come along who decide they want to be dedicated to the whole package … willing to give whatever it takes," Wilding said. "When I first sat down with Kawika I asked what his goals were. He set out his goals and he already had in his head a picture of how to accomplish it. He has been a sponge since I met him in terms of doing whatever it takes. That is special."

The 16-year-old Kaleleiki wants to "at least go to trials for Rio," but knows his best shot is probably four years later.

"That’s the one I should push for," he said, "and still go to college and stuff."