‘Ohana Wa’a Laulima in partnership with Arc of Hilo and OSMD Hawaii have announced their third annual King Kamehameha’s Awesome Athletes Inclusive Canoe Race on Sunday, June 2 at Hilo Bayfront.
Registration is officially open for Athletes of all skill and ability levels. Interested athletes and volunteers may register as soon as possible by visiting their website at https://hilocanoerace.com/.
The King Kamehameha’s Awesome Athletes Inclusive Canoe Race was created to give individuals with all levels of disabilities an opportunity to learn about such a tremendous part of Hawaiian history and culture while being part of the sport here in the islands.
This year is already shaping up to be a success, with teams committed to coming from as far away as Lincoln, Neb. There will also be a very special celebrity guest coming to volunteer. Earl Cole, the first ever Unanimous Winner of Survivor: Fiji in 2000 and the co-founder and CEO of The SMART Tire Company has been committed to helping children with disabilities and formed a non-profit dedicated to help children with the Perthes disease. Not only will he be a volunteer at the regatta, he is also helping to bring national attention to the Awesome Athletes.
One of the elite Adaptive Paddling racing groups in the nation, Pure Light Racing, will be competing this year. In addition to competing with the athletes, they will be involved in an exhibition to further show that there are no limitations to what can be done in canoe racing.
Anyone with a disability who would like to learn more about outrigger canoe paddling to sign up for this free event to kick off the summer. Organizers are working with local hotels to provide a group rate for any athletes or teams who would like to join us from the other islands or the mainland. On-shore and pre-event volunteers are invited to register as well.