Page 6 - MidWeek Central - March 17, 2021

6 MARCH 17, 2021
Mililani Resident Helps Others To Achieve Their Possibilities
BY DON ROBBINS
pandemic and its challenges, Yoshida still hosts virtual sessions.
her ability, she shares. Athletics isn’t a new as- pect of her life, though. As a Native Hawaiian, Yoshi- da learned fishing from her father and surfing from her mother at a young age, and has always loved swimming in the ocean and other physi-
back and use her talents. “You don’t realize the im- pact you’re making when you’re working, but Acces- Surf has been a huge part of
Yoshida has also contin- ued her own adaptive train- ing and surfing during the pandemic, which has pre- sented many hurdles, like beach access, social distanc- ing and more.
Paralympian Ann Yoshida of Mililani has recently been honored with a 2020 Acces- Surf Ocean of Possibilities Award, which recognizes people who give back to the community with a focus on the ocean.
Mililani High School graduate Yoshida holds a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology, a master’s in rehabilitation counseling, and a doctorate in occupational therapy.
my life,” she says.
“I’ve been giving a lot of
AccesSurf is a nonprofit that generates communi- ty-based programs for any- one with a disability to enjoy the water.
A lifelong Mililani res- ident who has traveled throughout the globe to com- pete, she’s a world champion in paracanoe. In addition, Yoshida participated as a Paralympic athlete at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Mililani’s Ann Yoshida has been honored with an AccesSurf Ocean of Possibilities Award.
PHOTO COURTESY ANN YOSHIDA
cal activities.
She’s been competitive
myself to AccesSurf. It’s re- ally fun to be growing with the organization and recog- nized for the work that you do. It feels good and moti- vates you to do more.”
A person who passionate- ly believes in giving back to the community, Yoshida ex- plains that she values over- coming challenges, striving for success, knowledge and perseverance.
As AccesSurf’s trainer, Yoshida oversees all train- ing procedures and adaptive equipment modifications, and creates profiles of Ac- cesSurfers to provide the best support for each per- son. Even in the midst of the
She became paralyzed as a result of an automobile accident in 2000, which occurred while she was in college in Utah. She was the passenger and the car that hit them failed to stop.
in many adaptive sports, in- cluding racing, surfing, out- rigger canoeing, kayaking, off-road hand-cycling and wheelchair tennis.
However, she adds that solid efforts are always a partnership and “I’m a prod- uct of the people who have supported me.
“It’s all to get people to find meaning and purpose in their life, whatever that may be. My purpose is to repaint the picture of what disability looks like,” she shares.
A favorite motto of Yoshi- da for living life is, “If I focus on being normal, I ex- clude the possibility of being extraordinary.”
Her road to recovery was long and challenging, but obstacles made her stronger and taught her the value of accessing life to the best of
AccesSurf began in 2006, with Yoshida as one of the original volunteers and par- ticipants in the organization. She said that as an occupa- tional therapist and athlete, AccesSurf allows her to give
“It’s empowering to be in the water doing things like surfing. I gained back the identity I thought I lost,” she explains.
For additional information on the organization, visit ac- cessurf.org.
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