Yvonne Kahookele knew her son would always be OK.

Motivated, extremely humble and driven, Kalei Kahookele is a kayaker for Mid-Pacific whose strokes in the water look effortless and whose strength is found in the woman he considers the strongest person he knows.

One of the last things Kalei told his mother while she battled cancer was:

"I told her to try not to give up, stay there for us."

The biggest lesson she taught him:

"Never to give up, never give up. Just go for what you want."

Kalei picked up kayaking last year, transitioning from outrigger paddling, and has quickly surged ahead locally and nationally.

He wants to kayak in the Olympics, to inspire others, including his younger brother Kame'eleihiwa, much like how he's been inspired by those experienced and older watermen before him.

His great uncle, Stan Dickson, said Yvonne knew her third child had the personality and nature to always do his best.

Pat Dolan, a kayaker who inspired Kalei, said, "He's so determined, anything he puts his eyes on to, he works hard and trains properly. If he wants to go to the Olympics, I see him doing that. If he wants to focus on to Moloka'i (crossing in an outrigger canoe), I see him doing that also."

Yvonne bravely fought cancer for years, never giving an outward indication of the pain she endured. An educational assistant at King Intermediate, she went to her kids' practices and found happiness when Kalei did well in the water. She was ecstatic when he got accepted into Mid-Pacific, but couldn't muster up the energy to scream.

She passed away April 15, 2008. To honor hit mother, Kahookele has a tattoo of her face on the side of his abdomen.

"Before the race, I pray and ask for her strength, to give me the strength," said Kahookele, a junior at Mid-Pacific. "I think about her, about how strong she was. She showed no weakness towards us, the kids. She gives me all my strength just thinking about it. It makes me more motivated, more powerful."

LEARNING THE ROPES

Kahookele's knowledge of the water stems from training and competing against older and experienced watermen — which translated into success in the water. His family always seemed to be around the water; Dickson founded the Keahiakahoe Canoe Club in Kahalu'u.

At age 14, Kahookele won the 2008 Kanaka Ikaika State Championship in the 18-and-under age division of the 9-mile, one-man paddling short course April 13.

This past April, he was third overall in the one-man short course, and in May, he teamed with Kamuela Lau to place 16th overall in the 40.2-mile Kaiwi Channel Relay.

"You get to learn more things when you're with more older and more experienced people," Kahookele said. "That's one thing why I'm getting better at it. I respect all of them. I thank all of them for what they all gave me."

Kahookele spent the 2007 Christmas break in Tahiti learning from George Cronsteadt, a world champion one-man paddler, and a friend of Dickson. Kahookele said Cronsteadt's teaching helped shape who he is today.

"The technique I use now, about how to feel for the water, how to stroke at a certain time, types of strokes to use in certain water, how to breathe, how to relax when you need to," Kahookele said. "And a couple nights we went night time and can't see nothing and it was all about feel."

TREADING WATER AT START

Kahookele's first experience in the kayak — which are less stable than canoes — didn't go too well.

"When I first jumped on a kayak, I flipped about 30 times," he said. "I didn't get nowhere. It took about a good three months until I was putting my feet in the boat."

He looked up to Pat and Ryan Dolan, Maryknoll alums who are currently representing USA Kayak. They were successful in paddling, but saw the national and international opportunities available in kayaking.

Kahookele saw the similarities and followed their paths. The Dolans taught him "race plans, how to prepare, what not to think of before the race, how to warm up, proper techniques."

Kahookele also saw it as an opportunity to "try to be that one person who takes the lead in our family, to have a good successful life." He's mindful of the example he's setting for Kame'eleihiwa, a freshman at Kamehameha.

GAINING EXPERIENCE

Kahookele spent part of the summer training at the National Junior Development Camp in New York and competing at the U.S. Sprint Nationals in Georgia.

He won a gold in the juvenile 5,000-meter K1, and teamed with Hawai'i Canoe and Kayak Team members Alex Cheung and Trenton Tam to win a gold medal in the juvenile 1,000 K4 race. Kahookele and Tam also won a bronze medal in the 1,000 K2 race.

Kahookele said winning was a "big relief."

"I thanked my mom after that."

Added HCKT coach Robyn Singh: "He has a natural feel and connection with the water and there's a lot of fluency to his stroke. When he gets stronger, that will add to that natural connection he has. That will be really exciting when he builds up, develops and grows in strength."

The experience gained over the summer is noticeable, said Mid-Pacific coach Sarah Field. She said Kahookele makes it look effortless, easy and fun, and he has won all three Interscholastic League of Honolulu races this year.

"He's leading by example, everybody looks up to him," Field said. "That fuels his fire a bit more."

Kahookele's future has no boundaries. There's family support, knowledge passed on to him, and the strength and the motivation he finds in his mother. He hopes others know their futures have no boundaries as well.

"I want to be one of those guys who everybody can look up to and for people from Hawai'i to just say 'I can do that,' " Kahookele said. "It's not impossible for anyone. It (kayaking) has great opportunities, you can travel around the world, learn new things, meet new people."