WAIKOLOA — As Boazton David turned the final corner at the Lavakids Aquathlon — sporting an ear-to-ear smile and swim cap still on his head — he was welcomed by high fives, roaring cheers and more than a few familiar faces.
WAIKOLOA — As Boazton David turned the final corner at the Lavakids Aquathlon — sporting an ear-to-ear smile and swim cap still on his head — he was welcomed by high fives, roaring cheers and more than a few familiar faces.
He wasn’t in first place, but it sure felt like it.
David and around 20 other Kona Kids joined a field of 200-plus keiki for the 15th running of the event at the Hilton Waikoloa Village lagoon on Saturday.
“They loved it,” Kona Kids coach and founder Carrie McCoy said after the race.
Kona Kids is an after-school program with the goal of helping children that live in Ulu Wini transitional housing through education, exercise and leadership.
“We tell kids they can be whatever they want to be, but we don’t always give them the tools,” said McCoy, who is a professional triathlete racing in the Lavaman Waikoloa Triathlon today.
She said there are programs for the adults in the transitional housing, designed to get them back on their feet, but not much for the kids.
“I believe that change starts with the youth,” McCoy said. “The goal of the program is to empower them by teaching them ownership of their mind, body and goals.”
McCoy said many of her kids couldn’t swim, or even tread water, when they started preparing for the race. But they worked at it, and Saturday’s event was the culmination — or finish line of sorts — for all their hard work.
“They don’t get to do things like this,” McCoy said. “A lot of them have never been on a baseball or a football team. But today, they were able to feel what it was like to be on a team.”
Lavakids sponsored the group’s entry into the event in exchange for cleaning up parts Ane Keohokalole Highway — where the monthly LavaKids Family Fun Runs take place.
“It has been a blessing to be able to host programs and events that get the community together,” Lavakids director Ellie Sumic said. “Lavakids is not just about the kids. It’s about ohana.”
Sumic is going on three years with the Lavakids program, and things are now starting to come full circle as it continues to expand. More than handful of the youth athletes who started with the program have graduated from the keiki course to the big show on Sunday, racing on relay teams or even solo.
She’s still getting used to being called, “Coach Ellie.”
“It has been so amazing to see the kids grow,” Sumic said. “But to make something like this a success, it takes a whole village.”
Sumic said the run-swim event — which offered various age-groups and distances — took about 55 volunteers to make happen. Their efforts were not lost on the Kona Kids, who had rave reviews of the event post-race.
“It was fun, but challenging,” David said.
“Harder than we thought it would be,” added fellow Kona Kid, Nelson Johnson, 14. “Running was my favorite part, but maybe next time we bike too.”
As for what has been the best part of being a part of the Kona Kids program, all the aquathlon athletes were quick to answer with, “Our coach.”
“She treats us like family,” said Aaron Gifford, 14. “She’s kind of like our mom. She loves us, she feeds us and takes care of us.”
For more information on Kona Kids, visit konakids.org. For info on Lavakids, visit lavakids.org.