Kawika and Leah met in 2021 at Charlie’s Combat Club, where they were both training in martial arts. Kawika was part of the jiu-jitsu fight team, while Leah trained with the MMA team. Although they started at the gym just a month apart, their paths didn’t truly cross until they became training partners. At the time, Kawika was training one-on-one with a teammate and their coach during private sessions. Leah, who often arrived early to practice, would see them working together. One day, she asked to join—and that simple moment became the beginning of their story. After a long day of training, we would talk for countless hours in the sauna, outside our cars, watching the sunset near the gym or would grab dinner. Neither of them at this time was looking for a relationship, but as we continued being training partners, our friendship naturally grew into something deeper. The rest is history.
Kawika planned a special getaway weekend to Whidbey Island after we had been friends for nine months. He booked a cozy Airbnb with a rooftop hot tub, setting the scene for a truly unforgettable evening. On the first night of our trip, we went up to the rooftop to watch the stars on a chilly night in February. Kawika told Leah that he had something he really wanted to ask her. Of course, she said yes to being his girlfriend—and just like that, we made it official on February 19, 2022!
Just over a year into their relationship, Kawika started working on the East Coast. After he had been away for 2.5 months, Leah took a weekend trip to Maine to visit him. A week before her visit, Kawika told her he had a big surprise and gave her several hints (Leah still has all the hints written down). They went on a road trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. One morning, they woke up early to hike the Beehive. They were the only ones at the top, overlooking the water. While they were there, Kawika asked her to be his promise partner. They promised to continue growing their relationship and building our future together.
In December, we took a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. On our first full morning there, we woke up early to watch the sunrise—something we’ve always loved doing together. Before heading out, we stopped for coffee, then made our way to a special beach Kawika had picked out. We arrived at Halona Blowhole Lookout and walked down by the water. This spot held special meaning, as the neighboring beach—Sandy’s Beach—is where Kawika grew up surfing and swimming. As the sun began to rise, Kawika set up his tripod so we could take photos and videos. Leah didn’t think anything of it, since it’s something we’ve done many times before. While the camera was recording, Kawika asked Leah to look out into the distance. When she turned back around, he was down on one knee. Leah said yes!