Every athlete has a story. Behind each achievement lies a journey of challenge, perseverance, and triumph.
These are the stories of Hawaii Hale’s impact—told by the athletes, families, and communities we’ve touched.
KIM'S EXPERIENCE
Kim Brennan – Gold Medal Winning Olympic Rower for Australia
I’ve always been very particular about who I want to work for and work with. In regards, to sport and sponsors. What I really value about EY is that they have taken a real initiative and they have done something that a lot of other companies haven’t done.
A lot of other companies say that they value gender equality and they say that they value striving for excellence, but they don’t do anything different and they don’t think outside the sphere of how athletes can actually make a difference. That’s what I love, is this forward thinking and taking a little bit of a risk but one that we are so incredibly grateful for the excellent opportunities that has given us. So, I think having that ability to think outside the square is definitely something that has drawn me to EY.
Jo’s Story
Kim Brennan – Gold Medal Winning Olympic Rower for Australia
I’m Josiah Williams, I am from Keaau Hawaii. I grew up going to Waipio and harvesting kalo. Kalo is a staple in Hawaiian culture and not too many families still carry this tradition to grow and harvest Kalo. I never saw it as nothing but hard work growing up but being away from Hawaii and seeing how special Kalo is to our culture has made me realize the tradition that I was carrying on and the Legacy I am a part of.
During covid schools got shut down and we went to online classes. There was so much confusion and chaos that I didn’t take school seriously. It also was bad because I wasn’t able to play sports. I came to Utah in the summer of 2023. I came to Utah for a better education and to play football. In Hawai’i my two main sports were Football and Basketball. I also played baseball. When I moved here to Utah I tried some different sports. I played football, rugby, and wrestling.
Someone that inspires me is my older brother. My plans in the future is to study online marketing in college and help my brother build his brand, so it’s recognized world wide.
Koli’s Story
Kim Brennan – Gold Medal Winning Olympic Rower for Australia
My name is Tevita Holani but everyone calls me by my middle name Koli. I am from Hawaii born and raised in a town on the east side of the Big Island called Hilo. I grew up in a Tongan household with my 5 siblings and parents and grandparents. We are very close as a family and have lots of family gatherings. During covid, I didn’t play sports and didn’t go out of the house much because of the ongoing pandemic limiting our normal lifestyle. I came to Utah in March of 2023, trying to find better opportunities for education and sports. I have bettered myself both physically and mentally while here in Utah. When I got here I was 330lbs and unhealthy. I lost 50lbs and learned to create better habits for myself. This has made me a more positive person and has changed my outlook on where I am going in my life. I have shaken a lot of my fear and doubts that I had about myself and now choose to be great in all I do. In highschool I played Football, Rugby, Paddling, and Wrestling. I also have maintained a 3.0 or better in school.
I have had some hardships in Utah like living alone without my family and not having access to water in our house for a whole summer. I also had to recover from an ankle surgery. A big inspiration in my life is my older brothers and dad who always led by great examples of being a man and working hard.
I haven’t decided what my future plans are but I’m interested in learning new things and trying different things to find out what I’m really passionate about. I know I am going to college and play football. I also will continue to learn more about financial literacy.
Dalten’s Experience
Kim Brennan – Gold Medal Winning Olympic Rower for Australia
Aloha, my name is Dalten Kaipookekai Tyler Fely-Sanborn. I went to Farmington High School. I have 9 siblings, 4 brothers and 5 sisters. I am from Keaukaha Which is located in Hawaii on the Big Island. Me and my family liked to go on adventures and loved to be outdoors such as going to the beach and going to the parks. Spending quality time with each other was the main thing. Because there were struggles for us when we were little, nothing was given to us and we always had to work for it. But we managed to get through it and be thankful for everything that we have and the many blessings that were given to us.
During Covid I was in Hawaii going to school. I went to a small Charter school called Ke Ana La’ahana. The school put everyone online and made it hard for some of the students that were more hands on. It was hard to play sports because if you wanted to play sports you needed to do so many things just to play. We had to be tested every week and get our nose swabbed before practices and if just one person tested positive everything shut down for quarantine. That made it hard.
I came up to Utah in July of 2022. I came up to create a better bond with my brother and also for the opportunity that was given up in Utah for sports and education. I got to experience sports at such a higher level and it made me a better athlete and a better person. Football was life to me when I was back in Hawaii but here in Utah I got to wrestle, play rugby and even compete in a boxing match.
Things that were hard for me were not being able to see my little siblings and parents everyday. Although it was hard for me, I managed to get through it and have fun. Also getting good grades was hard because the school system challenged me to be great.
Someone that inspires me is my Dad because he is always able to provide for the people that he loves. Also he is a hard working guy and always makes time to spend with his family outside of work.
My future plan is to become a carpenter while working towards being an entrepreneur and run my own construction business.
Noa’s Story
Kim Brennan – Gold Medal Winning Olympic Rower for Australia
My name is Noa Nakoa Santiago, son of Kainoa Santiago and Mercy Joaquin. I’m from Pahoa, a small town on the Big Island of Hawaii. My parents were not together when I was born so I lived with my dad. My dad is a jack of all trades, but he is mostly into Harley’s and building trucks. I was always with him so I grew up in that environment of mechanics and excavation work.
During covid I actually caught covid so I spent a lot of time in quarantine and away from people. I would watch coach Serge’s IG live streams and see that Landon, Ricky, Kenan, and Lyle were still playing football. I wanted to be there too so I shot a text out and within a week I was in Utah. I came up in August of 2021. Since being here I have played football, rugby and wrestling. I got 2nd team all region for football, won states in rugby, and placed 5th in the region in wrestling.
Living without my parents and my family around was really difficult for me. Having to learn to do things on my own was a struggle. Also learning new habits and ways to be successful was new to me. I do have a close relationship with my dad and he inspires me to be great. My dad is the hardest working person I know. There were many late nights, where it was just him and me and he would work all day, come home and still made me his number one priority. Watching him break his back to make sure I got everything I needed to be successful pushes me the most to make sure one day I can take care of him.
My plan is to play juco ball while working towards becoming a firefighter and start an affiliate marketing website.
Kenan’s Story
Kim Brennan – Gold Medal Winning Olympic Rower for Australia
Aloha, I’m Kenan Ua. I’m from Hilo, Hawaii. I grew up with 4 younger brothers and 1 older sister. We would enjoy the outdoors & whatever the land had to offer, like the beach & the mountains. Growing up was tough because nothing was handed to us for free, but we took pride in everything & made things work. During the covid pandemic, the only way to play sports was to get vaccinated. I got vaccinated so I could play and they still shut everything down and took sports away from us. I didn’t get a chance my freshman year to play sports. Sports were a way for me to stay busy and out of trouble. I came to Utah by myself 2 years ago, September 2022. I came to Utah for a vision, I wanted to see more than just what I grew up around & experience new opportunities.
You would ask, Why Utah? One of my closest friends took a leap of faith & had an opportunity to play sports again, which we didn’t have in Hawaii. So I decided to join him because I was passionate about my sports and academics, I wanted something different, I wanted to make a change for me and my family. Since Utah, I took every opportunity to play as many sports as I could. I did football, which is my main sport but I also did swimming, track, rugby, and even a little bit of wrestling. I went through many hardships while being in Utah, from having no parents to dealing with several surgeries. One thing that always stuck with me was to never give up no matter the circumstances. Of course it was rough, but I had a group of men who were always supportive, Hawaii Hale! The 2 people who inspire me to be great are my dad and also my coach, Coach Serge. I have learned alot from these two and the things I learned I would never take for granted. I am blessed to have them and this opportunity. Things have changed for me and I’m finally going to take a break from sports. Maybe later in the future I would like to do it again but I decided that I want to become a Fireman. I would like to be a firefighter because helping my community is what I’m really about.
I have already taken steps to accomplish my goal. I have completed an EMT course and I am a lifeguard. Next, is to join the fire academy after high school. Mahalo for reading my story and I hope one day you take that leap of faith and create a generational change.
GRACE'S EXPERIENCE
Grace Luczak – World Record Holder in Women’s Eight (Olympic Rower
How do you feel that the ACT program will be different to other people who will be making transition?
This program is really helpful because it being a combination of being able to work with people who are experienced, who have also been athletes themselves. They would understand where they are coming from and then it’s like fitting in together with a great company. That’s a good facet, it’s all about being good for you and good for the company that you work for. You know that you are going into a situation where they want someone like you and your skills. And I am really so excited to be a part of it.
NZINGHA'S EXPERIENCE
Nzingha Prescod – Olympic Fencer
So what were your feelings when you were first contacted by ACT about this program?
When I was contacted by ACT it was like wow! Oh my god. Because honestly after the Olympics it’s going to like what should I do now. You are so focused leading up to the games on actually qualifying that you are normally too involved to think what you can do after, so it was nice to be asked the question by ACT, after the games I am going to be involved? So, that was a great relief.
DAVID'S EXPERIENCE
David Roberts CBE – British Paralympic Swimmer
I was made aware of ACT and having read up on what Steve and Andy were trying to achieve, I made the call. Without going over the top, it has changed my life.
We spoke at length and no stone was left unturned. Whatever happens in the next phase of my life will be up to me, in many ways, but I know that without the assistance of ACT and the direction in they have given me, I would still be ‘That swimmer’ wondering what to do when I leave the pool for the last time.
MATTHEW'S EXPERIENCE
Matthew Hoggard MBE – England Cricketer
The experience I’ve had working with Athlete Career Transition has been absolutely amazing! One of the main reasons that my experience has been so positive is because both Athlete Career Transition and OSTC FX understand that I am obviously not a finished article and they have given me a bit of leeway.
Before retirement, you eat, sleep and drink your sport and you can perform under pressure with millions of people watching as that is what you are accustomed to. Then all of a sudden you have to start again and start to learn that you do have transferable skills that can be used in business. This has been my biggest takeaway from my experience transitioning with Athlete Career Transition.
