About Our Ohana
Ever Wonder who are the people who make the Keola O Ke Kai Ohana work and run...... Well here is your Main Ohana Members!
Jen Romano
Co-Founder/President/Mama Jen
Coach Jen/Mama Jen: She was originally a Figure Skater since the age of 3 years old. However a double knee injury when she was a 15 years old stopped her competitive dream. Needing to find another sport to get into her dad told her to try Outrigger Canoe Paddling. Jen's first club was Honolulu Canoe Club (now known as Honolulu Pearl) out of Pearl Harbor an OHCRA member, she fell in Love and was hooked! Jen paddled for a couple of more Hui Wa'a clubs where she met coach Gino, and with his influence she began coaching the Novice Paddlers at Alapa Hoe Canoe Club. In 2000 they started the La Pietra School for Girls paddling program, Jen continued coaching La Pietra and in October 2001 where she Co-Founded Keola O Ke Kai Canoe Club to help secure equipment and funding for the youth programs her and Gino were running. In 2002 school year is where she secured an assist coaching position with the Radford Paddling team. Coach Jen not only helps coach the Wahine and Mix Program but she is also Keola O Ke Kai primary club rep, she is the Race Secretary for OHCRA, and she now is the current Na Opio Canoe Racing Association President, not to mention a mom to 4 beautiful Keiki's and also has a full time job with United Airlines.
Coach Gino Dayton
Co-Founder/Vice President/Head Coach
Coach Gino: Started paddling at the age of 14 years old for Alapa Hoe Canoe Club (Hui Wa'a member)! Paddling not only became a sport for coach Gino but it became his passion! At the age of 17 Coach Gino began coaching for Alapa Hoe and Moanalua High School, from there he became more involved and paddling became Coach Gino's Life. In 2000 coach Gino left Alapa Hoe and Moanalua and began his coaching career with La Pietra School for Girls with Coach Jen, he only stay with La Pietra for that year because he was asked to help coach the Kane Program at Farrington High School. Keola O Ke Kai was founded in 2001 because it was always coach Gino dream to own his own canoe club . And at age 21 his dream became a reality, he is also one of the youngest if not youngest canoe club owner. Then in 2003 Coach Gino became the Kane Head Coach for the Radford Paddling team where he continues to coach till today. Coach Gino has completed many long distance race such as the Hawaiian Airlines Molokai Hoe crossing. Now he continues that tradition of crossing and coaching the Keola O Ke Kai Junior Kane since the event was created in 2013. He is one of the few coaches that sacrifices his own love for crossing the Kaiw'i Channel as a paddler, so that his Junior Kane has his 100% attention as they make the biggest race of their life a reality.
Keola Ohana Chef/Sgt. of Arms: Uncle Jerry
Keola Sous Chef & Team Mom: Aunty Kim
Without Uncle Jerry and Aunty Kim our Keiki's would go hungry LOL! They have been with
the Keola Ohana since 2009 and was an instant fit for our ohana. They are not only our club team parents but they are also our traveling parents, drivers when we go on trips. They Run the Keola Kitchen, they ensure that all the meals are ready. Uncle Jerry and Aunty Kim are a huge asset to our ohana, they take a lot of the load off of Coach Jen and Gino, before them Coach Gino would be holding canoe, swim in and start cooking the lunches and then coach... They allow the Coaches to coach and run the club, while they take care of the Ohana's Tummies! If you have never tried Uncle Jerry's cooking you don't know what you're missing. A huge benefit that only Keola O Ke Kai canoe club does for their Keiki's to have meals provided, no potluck every regatta a Hot Meal and basically till you're FULL!!!!
Diana Bayani
Junior Coach Since 2018 (Novice Paddlers)
Diana is what you call an Legacy Paddler, she joined the ohana because her older sibling was apart of the ohana. She has been with the ohana since as a paddler since 2013. She fulfilled her 4 years of high school paddling with Radford Rams. Holding the leadership role for her girls team. She is our 2017-18 MVP.
Diana is apart of the Keola Ohana first ever Na Wahine Junior women's team in 2017 which we place 5th. She just recently crossed the Kaiwi Channel again and placed 4th in the Juniors category. She has many distance races under her belt as well such as: Queen Liliuokalani 18 miles crew, Pailolo Challenge, E Lau Hoe, just to name a few.
Diana is also a V1 paddler and has many successful races in her division as a Junior paddler.
Diana is also apart of the Keola Ohana Travel Squad; where she has represented our club in San Francisco and Tahiti.
After she Graduated in 2018 she became a Junior Coach for the ohana to our Novice paddlers (age 6-13).
Diana is a true asset to the Ohana both in the wa'a and on land. She embodies what this ohana is all about. We are blessed to have her.
Shaira Salvador
Newly Alumni 2019 (Assistant Jr. Coach)
Shaira: Has been with the Keola Ohana since the Summer of her 8th grade year, now a Junior at Radford High school. She has truly embraced paddling as not only as a sport but as her passion. Shaira has been very instrumental in helping with club duties and filling the shoes of our previous Junior club rep, by going to Na Opio meetings, Lane drawings and during the summer season the Junior club rep for Keola. Shaira not only has her love of being a Steersman and Captain but she also has a true calling for the V1 wa'a. In 2017 Shaira was the Ekahi medal winner in the Jv Girls division and was the only one to compete in a V1 canoe while all the other competitors raced in a normal Oc1. She also then competed in the 2017 Race around Chinaman's Hat Race V1 race and was the first overall Junior Girl to come in and 3rd overall amongst the Junior Boys and Girls in the 15 & under division. Shaira then went on this year to compete and steer the 18 miles Queen Liliuokalani race, then continued on to be apart of Keola O Ke Kai's first ever Junior Wahine crew in the E Lau Hoe race from Hawaii Kai to Nanakuli and then took on the Kaiwi Channel as the 1st ever Junior Wahine crew placing 5th in the Junior division. Not only does she have a great passion for paddling, but she excels in the classroom with a grade point average range of 3.8 to 4.0, Shaira was inducted into Radford High School's National Honor Society. Shaira embeds the true meaning of a student athlete but she is a true leader on and off the water. Shaira is a true asset to our Keola Ohana and we are lucky to have her.
Mele Cabato
Former Club Rep (2013- 2017)
Mele: Has been part of the ohana for a little over 4 years now. During her high school years 2013-2015, she was the club rep and the student Race Director for the Na Opio Canoe Racing Association. She also did the club paperwork, went to all meetings, and drew lanes for race day. Till this day, she still takes on the important job duties to ensure our club is up to date and abiding all the association race rules. Within her 4 years of paddling, she's experienced a lot. During her high school years, both OIA and summer season, she was varsity girls/18 girls steersmen. This past summer season 2016, she steered 18 mix and 18 girls. She also traveled to Kailua-Kona, San Diego, Tahiti and San Fran to compete under the Keola name. Mele paddles year round meaning she competes in long distance. She has done 4 consecutive years of the E Lau Hoe race (Hawaii Kai to Nanakuli) and in Sept 2016 she completed her first crossing of the Kaiw'i channel, in the Hawaiian Airlines Na Wahine O Ke Kai, a race from Moloka'i to Oahu marking in history as one of the first Junior Wahine crews to cross. She then in 2017 took her knowledge and experience and Crossed the Kaiwi Channel with her Keola Ohana Wahine, making their crew the 1st Junior Na Wahine Crew for Keola. Mele is a great asset the the Keola Ohana, without her a lot of behind the scene operations would not be complete, she is always there when she is called upon be it night or day. We Love having Mele as part of one of our youth paddlers coming up into the paddling ranks as she makes her debut into adulthood!