Junior Lifeguards Compete on Oahu

Kauluwai Yamashita and Xzaviar Shotwell competed in running and swimming events at the Junior Lifeguard state championships. Photo by Jenni Shotwell

By Dayanti Karunaratne

While school finishes in May, for some youth their education continues throughout the summer: They meet at pools and beaches to improve their swimming and water safety skills through a program called Junior Lifeguard.
It’s a way for kids to spend time in the water, train for other sports and find out what it takes to become a lifeguard, firefighter or police officer.
Expert lifeguards come to Molokai to teach the week-long program in June, and at the end of the rigorous week they choose a few local kids to attend the state finals on August 8. This year, four Molokai youth — Sakai Labrador, Xzavier Shotwell, Sophie Socher and Kauluwai Yamashita — competed in five different events at the annual Junior Lifeguard state championships at Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park.
Hosted by the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department, the event brought together over 100 young athletes between the ages of 12 and 17 to compete in six land and ocean races that tested their athleticism and endurance.
Starting off the day was the one-kilometer beach run, followed by a 200-meter swim and the run-swim-run event, which saw athletes completing three 100-meter sprints. The challenging Iron Guard event combines a 500-meter run, a 200-meter swim and 200-meter paddle. A paddle board relay and the much-anticipated Beach Flags event rounded out the day.
The paddle board relay, which includes five 100-meter laps, saw Sakai Labrador, 16, win second place. Labrador also competed in Beach Flags, a spectator favorite, with sprinters grabbing flags and making quick turns in the hot sand.
Xzaviar Shotwell, 15, entered the one-kilometer run and the run-swim-run. He noted it was hot on the beach while he waited for his turn, and admitted that he thought the events would be easier.
Kauluwai Yamashita, 15, entered the run-swim-run and the 200-meter run. Though he has been involved in the Junior Lifeguard program on Molokai for years, it was his first time competing off island.
“In my opinion, the hardest part of the competition was at the start of the swim,” Yamashita said. “Everyone is on top of each other, and you have to practically climb over other people to get to open water.”
Sophie Socher, 13, also entered the run-swim-run and the 200-meter swim.
“The hardest part about the Junior Lifeguard events is the mental game,” said Socher, explaining that managing nerves and regulating breathing are things she works on.
“I often get anxious before competing, but it is a lot more fun when you compete and try your best — but still remember that it is a game, and the main focus of the program is about lifeguarding and staying safe.”
Visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/1565/Ocean-Junior-Lifeguard-Program for more information about the Maui County Junior Lifeguard program.
Captions:
Sophie Socher competed in running and swimming events at the Junior Lifeguard state championships. Photo by Zach Socher

Kauluwai Yamashita and Xzaviar Shotwell competed in running and swimming events at the Junior Lifeguard state championships. Photo by Jenni Shotwell

So if you run them together…

Sophie Socher (left/right), Kauluwai Yamashita and Xzaviar Shotwell competed in running and swimming events at the Junior Lifeguard state championships. (Left/right photo by Zach Socher; left/right photo by Jenni Shotwell)