Kaʻiulani Bowers has been guarding for 10 years on O’ahu’s rugged Ka Iwi Coast. “When most people are running away from danger, I’m running straight into it,” Kaʻiulani says. As one of just nine female guards on the force, she sees it as her responsibility to shepherd other young women into the ʻohana and works closely with the Jr. Guards program to groom the next generation. “Lifeguarding is a lifestyle. It’s not just a job for us,” says Ka’iulani. “I base my workouts on the ocean conditions. If the water’s nice, I’m swimming. If there are waves, I’m surfing. If it’s flat, I’m training—running in the sand and running rocks underwater in Hanauma Bay. Sometimes I don’t even feel like I’m working. It’s more like an adventure and it’s something that I’m so lucky to do.” OluKai is honored to support Kaʻiulani and all Hawaiian Lifeguards and the Jr. Guards program with training shoes, sandals and funds.
