Paddling with Purpose: How Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers Bring Strength, Joy, and Healing to the Cancer Journey

For sixteen years, Pacific Cancer Foundation has partnered with a group of extraordinary women and men who understand the cancer journey in a deeply personal way. The Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers are a team of cancer survivors and supporters who use outrigger canoe paddling as a source of strength, healing, and connection.

Founded on Maui, Mana‘olana was born from the idea that movement and shared experience could be powerful tools in recovery. In 2009, they helped launch the very first Paddle for Life event—a two-day canoe voyage from Maui to Lāna‘i and back—alongside cultural leader and paddler Uncle Kimokeo. That first crossing set the tone for everything that followed. What began as a courageous idea quickly became a tradition rooted in community, resilience, and hope.

Since then, Mana‘olana has grown into a tight-knit ‘ohana. Survivors come to the team uncertain and physically worn down. Through months of paddling together, they rediscover confidence, build friendships, and remember what it feels like to be strong.

At Pacific Cancer Foundation, we’re proud to stand alongside Mana‘olana—not just during Paddle for Life, but year-round—as partners in care, healing, and community connection. In this month’s Partner Spotlight, we’re honored to share more about their story through the words of longtime paddler and team leader Mary Dungans.

Mana‘olana helped launch the very first Paddle for Life back in 2009 with Uncle Kimokeo. What do you remember about that first crossing, and how did it shape your understanding of what’s possible for cancer survivors?

Paddle for Life is nothing short of life-changing. That first crossing in 2009, with Uncle Kimokeo, was more than just a physical journey, it was a powerful reminder of what cancer survivors are truly capable of. It showed us that healing doesn't happen alone. Survivors and supporters alike discovered strength, courage, and confidence not just within themselves, but in each other. We learned that when we paddle together, we rise together.

Sixteen years later, your team continues to paddle with incredible heart and purpose. What has Paddle for Life come to mean to Mana‘olana, and what makes this event such a powerful experience for your team and the wider cancer community?

Since our first voyage, Mana‘olana has grown into a thriving ‘ohana, with survivors who often join us afraid, uncertain, and physically weakened. Through months of training, they find purpose, strength, and a renewed sense of life. Paddle for Life is a beacon of hope, a celebration of resilience. For us, it’s not just an event. It’s a declaration that cancer does not define us. We paddle with heart, with purpose, and with unwavering aloha.

Mana‘olana is rooted in healing, not just through movement, but through shared experience. What have you learned over the years about how paddling transforms the cancer journey—physically, emotionally, and spiritually?

Paddling transforms us from the inside out. Mana‘olana is more than a paddling club, it’s a Pink ‘Ohana. On the water, we challenge our bodies. On the beach, we lift each other up. In our lives, we stand by each other as friends, sisters, brothers, and survivors. Paddling heals not just our muscles, but our minds and spirits. It reminds us that joy, connection, and strength are always within reach.

Many people think of recovery as a medical process, but your work reminds us that healing can take many forms. What makes outrigger paddling such a meaningful tool for restoring strength, confidence, and joy?

Physical therapy may rebuild the body, but paddling rebuilds the soul. When you paddle alongside others who’ve walked the same path through cancer, there’s a deep, unspoken bond. We laugh, we cry, we grow. Together, we reclaim our strength, our confidence, and the joy that cancer tried to steal. Mana‘olana makes us not only stronger survivors, but better human beings.

Mana‘olana created Waves of Hope to help cancer patients access alternative and complementary care. What inspired that program, and how does it reflect the values at the heart of your club?

As Mana‘olana grew, we knew we had more to give. We created Waves of Hope to reach beyond the canoe, to uplift survivors facing financial and emotional struggles. We fund alternative, complementary cancer care like acupuncture, massage, and naturopathic treatments, services often not covered by insurance, but crucial to healing. It's an extension of our core belief: that every survivor deserves access to holistic care and deep support.

Over time, Mana‘olana has grown into a place where survivors feel deeply seen, supported, and understood. What are some of the quiet, everyday moments within your paddling ‘ohana that show just how special this community is?

Some of the most powerful moments are the quietest ones. During our paddle, we Lawa — we look to the mountains, chant, and offer prayers for loved ones and all those facing cancer. After paddling, we gather for healthy snacks and talk story. We laugh. We cry. We share hard truths and healing tips. We become more than teammates. We become each other’s lifelines. Mana‘olana is our safe space. Our healing place. Our home.

What do you wish more people knew about the emotional realities of the cancer journey and how can communities like Mana‘olana help shift the way we show up for survivors and their families?

Many survivors feel isolated, emotionally and socially, long after treatment ends. The cancer journey doesn’t stop when the medicine does. Mana‘olana exists to bridge that gap. We listen, we support, we show up. We remind each other that it’s okay to not be okay, and that no one has to face cancer alone. Communities like ours change the narrative by turning pain into purpose and survivors into sisters and brothers.

For someone newly diagnosed, or just finishing treatment, joining a paddling club might feel intimidating. What would you say to someone who’s unsure but curious about taking that first step?

We get it, the first step is always the hardest. That’s why we invite you to simply come watch, share some snacks, and talk story with us. No pressure. Sometimes, just riding in the canoe is enough to spark that first bit of hope. And from there? Magic happens. One paddle stroke at a time, you gain strength, confidence, and belonging. We’ve had survivors who had to be lifted into the canoe, now they paddle the full voyage. It’s not just possible. It’s life-changing.

Want to learn more about Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers?
Visit www.mauipinks.org to explore their story, programs, and how you can support or join the Pink ‘Ohana.