Giving Massages In The Channel
Arnaud Adam was always fascinated by the sport of paddling, so when he moved to Hawaii from France three years ago, he joined Kailua Canoe Club and has grown to love the sport. He also opened Hale ‘e pa nui Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork in Kaneohe, and has a growing clientele of folks from all walks of life, including many from the paddling community.
“Throughout the paddling season, I saw a few friends paddle through injuries to the point that they had to stop and not paddle for a few months,” says Adam. “With my knowledge in massage therapy, I felt like I could potentially have helped them before they got injured just by offering my service to them.”
During the recent Molokai Hoe, he served as crew massage therapist for the Keahiakahoe men’s crew, crossing the treacherous Kaiwi Channel alongside the crew on the team’s escort boat.
“Last year, at the three-and-a-half-mile mark, I started to cramp up a lot, but this year I was good the whole race,” says Keahiakahoe crew member Kalei Kahookele. “It helps improve your performance in the race and your body recover after the race.”
Adam is trained in Swedish, deep tissue and lomi lomi massage, and his main focus is resolution massage. “Massage isn’t a luxury, it’s a health habit that you include with other activities such as working out and eating healthy. Anytime you get a massage, you’ll get the relaxation aspect; however, for resolution massage, you cater your treatment to what the patient feels is hindering their sport or everyday life.
“People often aren’t aware of the tension, and then when pain is unbearable, that’s when they try to take care of it. Ideally, you want to take care of it early.”
For more information on Hale ‘e pa nui-Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, visit epanui.com or call 258-4940.
