Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 8, 1 August 2016 — Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi only graduates triathletes [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi only graduates triathletes

By Leslie Lang What if you had been required to complete a triathlon in order to graduate from high school? Could you have done it? Or would you, all these years later, still be a 12th grader? This past May, all in one day, about 140 Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i high school juniors swam a half mile, biked 6.2 miles and ran a mile and a half, covering more than eight miles altogether. Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i physical education teacher Ryan Cabalse says the Big Island campus is the only Kamehameha Schools campus with such a graduation requirement, and he thinks it's the only such school in the state, although other schools like Kealakehe High School have triathalon clubs to help students train. Training starts in freshman year, when students learn the basics of fitness comnonents and then nar-

ticipate in a five-mile run. During sophomore year, they learn more about fitness and eomplete a biathlon. Junior year is all about personal fitness training, in whieh students design their own personal fitness training to prepare for the triathlon. On a running day, for instance, students must cover a mile and a half, but they ean choose how they do it.

"They ean go to the track and work on pacing, where they just run a lap, take a break, run a lap, take a break," he says. "Somebody else doesn't want to run on the track, so they ean go run one and a half miles around the campus. Another person might want to practice working strength, so they might do hill repeats." On swim days, students have to complete a minimum number of laps, but they ean decide whether to work out with kickboards or do interval training. The hope, he says, is that students will heeome comfortable with fitness techniques and choose to

nve a nt ana neattny itte as adults. "The Hawaiian eommunity is the highest in obesity and diabetes," he says, "so our goal is to try and remedy that by helping the young people make good choices and then affect their family members too." And what do the students think about it? "Well, it's non-negotiable, so it's not like they have a ehoiee," he says. "But they do have a lot of choices in how they train for it. They

take more ownership. I think the junior year is a lot more positive because we let them choose their training." He says that, in general, written reflections the students fill out show they enjoy it. "They like doing it with their classmates. It's a fun event. They are familiar with the Ironman, so they feel like they're mini-Ironmen people. Most of them never do it again so they're kind of happy and proud to say that they have completed a triathlon." "All in all it's very positive," he says, "and they're very supportive of eaeh other." After the event eaeh year, students relax with activities planned by the junior class student government. Some years, people eome in to give massages and manicures/pedicures. Other years, it's open free play with a pool party and basketball. This year they chose to see the science fiction movie "The 5th Wave" in the school auditorium. "That way half of them could sleen and half of them could watch."

says Cabalse. Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i High School Principal Lehua Veincent agrees that students' reactions to running the triathlon vary, but he says whether a student is the first to cross the finish line or the last, it provides them with a sense of accomplishment. "And it's very inspirational for everybody else that's watching them, as well." He says it's not only about the high school,

but is a well-rounded community event. "Our parents eome in and support. Our faculty and staff - I have to find subs, so they are able to participate in and support the P.E. department and this event. We have paramedics on site. Our security officers are always available, because the path we have on campus is a long one, so our security officers are very mueh part of the whole triathlon. Our operational people are there, and our food service people are there because of the snacks and water they provide." And he says the triathlon, whieh gets students running, biking and swimming outside, is another connection to the all-important 'āina. "I think the

connectivity witn tne eoay and our spiritual self to the land and all those that surround us is important." "It goes beyond our school into our families and our community," he says, "to really show that our children are important to us, their well-being is important to us, and the connectivity to the land is important to us." ■ Lesīie Lang is a freelance writer/editor who often writes about Hawai'i's euhwe, business and travel.

The Hawaiian community is the highest in obesity and diabetes, so our goal is to try and remedy that by helping the young people mahe good choices and then affect their family members too." — Ryan Cabalse, Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i physical education teacher

Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i graduates need to be able to swim a half-mile, bike 6.2 miles and run 1 .5 miles. - Photos: Courtesy of Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i