He’s come a long way

It took some time and a lot of pain, but it was worth it all to Kuikaika Kaahanui. From seventh grade on, he was a lanky kid making the daily commute to Kamehameha Schools, waking up at 4:30 a.m. at his family’s apartment in Waialua. School, study, head home, more studying. No sports.

But after impressing a P.E. teacher with his running ability during freshman year, he showed up for the cross country team as a 10th grader. Longtime coach Steve Jenness and his competitive band of harriers didn’t know what to expect from Kaahanui.

Neither did he. He learned the ropes, running the slopes of Kapalama Heights. Bonding with new friends. Something clicked during the process. By the end of his sophomore season, he had morphed into a champion in the making. He ran at the state championships and finished 24th in 17 minutes, 52 seconds.

"I knew I was capable of winning," Kaahanui said. "My mom told me I was talented enough, and that motivated me to train."

His quick ascension was only fitting. A generation ago in Great Britain, his mother, Sandra Inglis, was an aspiring, talented runner in her own right. She finished seventh in a national cross country race at 15.

But suddenly …

"She stopped. She got really nervous and she felt really pressured, I guess. There was a lot of drama in the track club," said Kaahanui, who has dual citizenship. "She ran a fast 1,500 in high school, too."

AS A JUNIOR, he had grown taller and developed more strength in his wiry frame. Kamehameha was always among the top-finishing boys teams during the preseason and regular season, and Kaahanui won his third meet of the year.

"It felt good to win a race. I didn’t expect to win," he said.

He steamrolled from there, along with his team. He thrived at the state championships with a time of 17:07, topping his nearest competitor by more than 30 seconds as Kamehameha captured the HHSAA/Honolulu Marathon boys championship.

"That was the biggest margin I’ve won by. The best thing was crossing the tape, the red tape. It felt good just to grab that and to win as a team," he said.

Jenness smiles as he recalls Kaahanui’s progress.

"Last year, he trained a lot in the offseason. He’s very self-motivated. He came into the year in good shape and he took it from there. He had a great year."

In addition to the state crown, Kaahanui was named Gatorade boys runner of the year in Hawaii.

"We’ve had a lot of guys who were highly motivated, but he has a little more," Jenness said. "He has big expectations and he’s sure of himself. He works real hard and he’s progressed along in a short period of time where he does understand a lot quicker than a lot of good runners I’ve had."

BUT THE FUN and accolades came with a price for Kaahanui, who began to experience an ache above his left ankle early in the season. By the end of the year, it was throbbing, painful and really needed rest time. Kaahanui fought through it and then some. By track and field season, he was done.

The diagnosis: a stress fracture.

"I just thought it was shin splints or something, so I ran through it," he said.

Since then, Kaahanui has recovered gradually. Any time he started to load up on training, mom made sure he didn’t overdo it again.

"After the injury, I pay more attention to the little pains," he said. "She’s really, really cautious. She’ll tell me to ease off."

It’s almost September and Jenness has no plans to hurry Kaahanui back. But the senior, now 6-foot-1, puts his green alligator socks on every day and works back into form. The pain is mostly gone now, he says.

JENNESS DOESN’T PUSH weight training, but Kaahanui pursued it in the offseason. He can leg press more than 400 pounds, but normally sticks with the plan. The long-distance runner plan.

"It’s more just higher reps and lighter weights. Basic stuff like squats," he said. "I run on the sand (in Waialua) on Sundays, 4 or 5 miles. It strengthens all the muscles you don’t usually get to work in your feet and ankles. It helps to prevent injuries, too."

Jenness has always appreciated Kaahanui’s perspective.

"He’s got a great sense of humor and he’s very likable," the coach said.

Then Jenness lets out a hearty laugh. The only thing he and Kaahanui disagree on is the size of Kaahanui’s arms.

"But he’s working on it," Jenness said. "Give him time. If you give him any time to do something, he’ll get it done."