 I was the head coach of the Punahou School boys varsity tennis team for 22 years and we were fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. This show is based on my books beyond the lines and beyond the game and it's about inspiration, leadership, and building a superior culture of excellence. My special guest today is a Maui girl who won this year's Miss Hawaii USA pageant. She is Savannah Gankiewicz and today we are going beyond beauty. Hey Savannah, welcome to Beyond the Lines. Hello Rusty, thank you for having me. Savannah, you grew up in Maui and you live in Maui and you've been doing a lot of volunteering and assisting to really help many of the families of the Maui fires, the victims who lost everything. Can you tell me about what happened last week, Tuesday? Yes. Right now, you know, the whole island is going through something tragic and I remember on Tuesday, I was with my family and we were getting alerts on our phone that there was fires happening, especially in Kula and Lahaina and in North Kihei and my mom made us pack emergency bags because North Kihei was getting evacuated and Maui meadow so we were all really scared. This was 11pm, 12am and it was very, very windy and I didn't know the severity of the fires in Lahaina until the next day because we couldn't go to sleep. It was 12am and I just felt, I felt something was off, like, there was something wrong and I had my uncle come, my cousin came, my grandma here, we all just, you know, packed over here because we didn't know what was going on, we heard sirens, we saw smoke, there was a huge fire right up North Kihei and it was just really scary and traumatizing and the next day that's when we heard the severity of Lahaina, of what happened there. Savannah, it's absolutely unbelievable how the entire town of Lahaina is just gone. You've been interacting with families that have lost everything. Tell me about the sleeping conditions. Are they using gyms as shelters? Yes, so I have been volunteering at War Memorial the past few times and they're using like sleeping cots there and there's about a few hundred people there and many families and kids and, you know, it's really, really sad, but I feel like everyone is holding on, everyone, everyone has a sense of strength and that is what's really inspiring when I'm meeting these people who lost everything and they just feel a sense of gratitude that they survived because there are many deaths and people that are missing and it's just very, very sad right now. Now, tell me about how you're helping and so many other people are helping to volunteer and assist these families at these shelters with just food and water and basic needs, right? Well, so I have been going around the families and I always bring a little box of cold waters, of snacks and there's so much food that's being distributed at these shelters, especially War Memorial because it is the main hub. And I just always want to make sure that the families are well taken care of. Everyone is taken care of and I don't, we have a good setup right now where people can come in. It's like a huge grocery store and we have everything set up where they can take anything they want. There's still food coming in. There's hot meals coming in a couple times per day and we just want to make sure everyone feels safe and protected. And yeah, just, I really love interacting with everyone because there are some people who are still in shock. There are some people who are just free to be alive and I've befriended a few people there who are just so inspirational. After what they've gone through, there's still a sense of hope within them. And I've met many kids. There's actually a kid set up outside in the corner where they have a bunch of toys they can play with. And the children, they're still smiling, they're still laughing. And it's just, it's so heart-wrenching. Yeah, so do you get the feeling like for the kids, like you just said, that maybe they're just being displaced and they don't really understand the full gravity of the situation. Maybe it's just like, hey, we're going to be here temporarily. What kind of feeling do you get about that? I feel that the children don't know what's going on and I actually partnered with Comfort Bears Catastrophe. It's an organization. They reached out to me on the Miss What USA Instagram and they're sending me teddy bears to give to the kids and go into the shelters and they have like little notes on the teddy bear. So that's coming in this week. So I'm very, very excited to go give them the teddy bears and really make sure they're okay because kids are just really, they're near and dear to my heart. So I just want to make sure they're all okay. Now, when you're interacting with some of the adults, I mean, like you said, so many of them are strong. I mean, they're feeling like, wow, we survived. You know, we're alive whereas many other people have perished and so they're just looking at their own basic situation where we have each other and we're going to start over. I mean, the power of the human spirit is incredible, right? Yes. Yes, exactly. And I always say, coming from Hawaii, it's so beautiful to see us come together as a one big ohana, right? You more and we more and you rebuild, we rebuild, you rejoice, we rejoice and that is the mentality here and I think that's amazing that humanity is not dead. It's kind, you know, everyone is coming together and really being a strong foundation for each other. Now, Savannah, I mean, this is the biggest adversity that people could ever face, you know, just losing everything. I mean, within a matter of minutes, it's just gone. So it has to be in terms of mental health, you know, depression, suicide are factors, right? Exactly. And I am, I'm youth mental health first aid and I've been trained to handle situations where people feel suicidal, depressed. I'm talking to people making sure they're okay. Actually, my mom as well be friended a lady there at the shelter and she's 75 years old and she is so strong and she did go through up and downs of her, her mental health and we're just there for her but every person that we can talk to we just want to make sure that no matter what like we're there to uplift you and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that you're well taken care of. So then I want to talk with you about my book because you know chapter one is titled the choice is yours and because I want people to know that they have a choice in everything that they do in life and to really welcome adversity because a lot of us will have, I mean, adversities are inevitable in our lives and some of us will experience deeper levels than others. What are some things that stood out to you in my books? Definitely, I love the part of your book about the four keys, but most of all that leaders are not born, they're built and that's exactly what I use in my life is I want to be an impactful leader. I was not born a leader, right, I was inspired by other leaders, so I can do good in the world and leave a good impact and imprint while I'm here and I think that's so important because once you become a leader, it's a ripple effect right for other leaders to become leaders, especially the younger generation that's, that's exactly why I, I did this pageant as well because I want to be a leader to many women and many younger generations. Well, Savannah, you are well on your way to becoming a great, great leader and you, you know how I talk about character in the book, you are a woman of great character. How did, how did that part about character affect you in the book? I really resonated with it because I always, I have been told I have good character and I always do things from my heart, no matter what I think that's what really makes everyone authentic and have good characters do everything from the heart and I think that's a very good that you instilled that in this book. Now, we also know now because I have testimony that the books are helping people with mental health issues of depression and suicide it's helped save people's lives, because it's just, I talk about how your mindset, you know, everything, the brain controls the body. And there's, I always say there's two types of people in the world, people that have a victim mindset and people that have a victor mindset. And that is very evident right now with the Maui fires, right? Exactly. The, when you have a victim mindset, I've, I've met people that had a victim mindset I've met people who use their whatever has happened to them they use it as their strength and with the Maui fires and with me personally I have used I have everything that has happened to me my adversities it's made me who I am and I never look at myself to as a victim I use it as hey this happened to me so let me tell my story, and let me be able to share my, my, my story with others. Yes, I totally agree and you know, people, there's a difference, you know, and this is this is what the message I want to get out to all of these families that are so sadly affected by the Maui fires is, you know, life. Some people look, look at it as life happens to you, but if you have a victor mindset, if it's life happens for you, and, you know, from there, it's what you do about it, you know, some people can just feel sad and sulk and, you know, make excuses and think, whoa is me, why did this happen to me, everything is gone. But people that have the victor mindset, they're just thinking, Wow, thank God that that, you know, we're alive, our families are safe. And you know what, let's start over, let's rebuild right. Luckily, I know families that I've met they're taking it day by day, step by step and tomorrow was a new day and, you know, we're just waiting to see what's going to happen and because I believe that no one can stay in these shelters for so long just the environment. At the same time, it's very, very hard for them, you know, so I think everyone in these shelters are so strong, just the not one person I feel I've met doesn't feel like a victim, they're like, Okay, we survived, let's do this. The community is here for us and let's keep moving forward. I love hearing that Savannah, and Savannah, I want to, I want to ask you about you winning the Miss Hawaii USA pageant. Now, what, what were some of the things that you did to prepare physically and mentally for the pageant. Yes, when I decided to join Miss Hawaii USA, it changed my life that I actually believe like it just completely changed the personal growth in me and I just feel so grateful I, I've always worked out every day because you know I love my endorphins I feel good every time I work out but mentally I had to understand where my purpose was, and what I want out of doing this pageant and doing Miss Hawaii USA and I really home down the process of how I'm going to get there to where I need to go. It just changed my life like I'm just so grateful for Miss Hawaii USA and it just, I feel, I'm a whole new woman because of it and every single day I'm still growing I'm still becoming resilient and it just makes me really excited for more growth to happen. Now Savannah did you really have to keep up on a lot of current world events and just everything that's going on just because of the questions you might get asked. Yes, I am, I prepare so I'm like a prepare I'm an organizer so I, I got all the subscriptions Washington Post New York Times a everything so I can keep up with exactly what's happening not only in our nation but our whole world and it's just I'm like wow I'm back in school again like I feel like I'm back in college like just the the I had to prepare and I had to see what's going on so I have my opinion of what's happening and better yet I during my top five on stage question I got a question about Roe v weight and I did a lot of research and I had my opinion on it and if it wasn't for me preparing. I probably wouldn't be able to answer and have my own opinion. Oh, totally. I love that you, you over prepared I mean that's really one of the prerequisites for success and Savannah. When you got crowned Miss Hawaii USA. What, you know, through that whole experience what was what exactly were some of the key things that really added to your personal growth. Definitely that the feeling of the feeling of winning you know the feeling of wow. All this mental like that I prepared for all the, the physical attributes I had to do it, it led me to where I am right now and that's when I was winning and I, when I remember when I won I just had this sense of peace. I prepared for the past eight months. I have grown tremendously during even the process of trying to win Miss what USA and I'm just so happy I was so happy with how I came out as a woman just preparing for the pageant. Now what would you say were some of your insecurities before the pageant and why and then after the pageant how did that add to your confidence. The mindset I swear this the brain the mindset is really the power right I, I just kept those old thoughts about, oh I'm not good enough or I'm not smart enough or maybe like, maybe I'm not ready for this maybe I'm not going to do, you know I'm not going to just negative self critical thoughts were really affecting me, even throughout we're human beings that happens, but I had to home down hey why are you feeling this. Like what is going on and I turned those self critical thoughts into positive affirmations or I turned it like I pinpointed why am I feeling these emotions and it was all because of inner child like my inner child was coming out like oh no you're not good enough because when I was younger. I didn't feel I didn't feel good enough about myself so now going into the pageant I, I had to step away from that person and go into the woman I am. I'm 27 years old so the little girl and he was like, you're not ready for this but the 27 year woman was like you got this girl. Well, you know, Savannah, I've, I've been a judge in multiple pageants and I have huge respect for every contestant because so many of the girls have insecurities and vulnerabilities whether they're self conscious about their body or their self conscious about being on a stage, or self conscious about speaking in front of a crowd. And once they go through that journey that experience. I mean they just have so much personal growth I mean the, I could just see the confidence just build and can you see that in a lot of your fellow contestants. Definitely. Oh my goodness all the girls I met during this what USA they were so nice, I was cheering for them backstage when they would go on stage because I know it takes a lot of confidence to go on a bikini to be graceful in the evening gown so I was just rooting for them I was their biggest cheerleader You know, and I think that's what's so important as well with doing a beauty pageant is the sisterhood and the support that you get from all of us competing. And Savannah and not tripping on those super high heels right. Yes, I was so afraid I'm like please don't fall please don't fall like when I'm walking down like please don't fall. Now I want to ask you about Miss Hawaii USA pageant owner Alicia Michioca she's one of my great friends long time friends. She is such a great leader. What are some things that you admire about Alicia. I love Alicia she really took me under her wing I call her mommager I'm like mom mommager you know, she really knows where to put us and she knows the best advice when it comes to like doing pageants and she's just so inspirational she is for the community as well. And she's all about woman empowerment and I just love that about her. And what you see is what you get with her right. She is not afraid to say what she's thinking and I think that's something you should look up to. Yeah, I think that's like a great quality and you also met with Governor Josh Green tell me about that experience. Yes, it was so awesome that I got to meet Governor Josh Green he is so nice like just the kindest man and when I met him. I talked about my nonprofit I talked about like what I want to do and he has a daughter as well so he really resonated that with me and he was all for my nonprofit work because he has a daughter he has a teenage daughter so he knows what they go through but it was so I was like wow this is so official I've never been here and everyone was so awesome and it was just so cool that he gave me his time and actually gave me his time and talk to me and said if I needed help with anything with getting into the schools about my nonprofit that he would help me. Now let's talk more about you being an advocate for the nonprofit what makes you feel beautiful can you tell me about that. Yes, of course I am ambassador and a program director for what makes you feel beautiful. I handle the first love yourself youth program where I teach younger women how to cultivate self love. I teach them education on how to really emphasize the importance of self love and compassion and how to be resilient. How to not have self critical thoughts how to have affirmations and it's just so important to teach the younger generation this because if we start them young. They'll be able to have the bright mindset to go through life, especially as teenagers like I have young siblings. I know what it's like, you know, going on social media. Comparing yourself or seeing what you see on social media and then your reality it causes depression and causes mental health and I'm just there for the younger girls but I just want them to flourish I want them to feel amazing so they can conquer life and do whatever they want. So let's let's delve a little deeper into the effects of social media like you just mentioned their students that, you know, get bullied and, you know, mentally abused on social media and it leads to suicide. What do you suggest students do if they're getting abused or they're having those situations in a negative way on social media. When I talk to a trusted adult, that's exactly what you need you need a good support system and friends and a good trusted adult when you're when you're handling situations like that it just breaks my heart that there's teenagers getting bullied there's teenagers who are not worthy enough, you know, to live in this world when living is such a beautiful thing and so we're so grateful to be able to be here so I always say, talk to a trusted adult talk to anyone you can because once you do it really it really will help in different avenues of where you should go. You know, knowing you I mean it seems like you just truly I mean you really truly enjoy working with our youth I mean you're and you're making a big positive impact and I mean what what do you do that allows them to be so relatable with you. I always say I'm really warm I'm a really warm compassionate and empathic person and I think that's what really gravitates the youth towards me because I always say I'm forever a young kid at heart I'm a teen like I'm a young kid at heart I and I think that's what really. That's what they love they can they can talk to me without judgment and I always just try to think if I was their age how would I want an adult to act like and that's exactly what I'm doing because I wish I had this when I was a younger I wish I had someone I can look up to and someone that was really nice you know I never had that so I'm just trying to be like that for them. Now Savannah can you share with us more about your background I mean your ethnicity you have a I love your ethnicities and where you you were you know grew up in Maui but can you share a bit about how you lived on the mainland as well. I am so I'm Filipino American Vietnamese and Polish my my mom is Filipino and my dad is half Vietnamese half Polish and growing up, especially when I moved to Virginia when I was about six years old with my dad. He. It was just totally different world growing up in Virginia we lived in like across a farm a cow farm while Maui here you know it's so multicultural and it was a it was a wake up call that a lot of people in Virginia didn't know what I was they were like what are you growing up, especially six, you know when you're six years old people are questioning like, what ethnicity are you, where are you from and it was just really this funny and I always. It was challenging, but it helped me grow and I'm so grateful to be multicultural. And was your mom a pageant winner herself. Yes, she was she actually got me into the pageant world she was Mrs Maui back in the day and she really inspired me to do pageantry and to have a platform, and she actually inspired me to model as well because I love to travel I love different cultures and modeling and pageantry were able to help me get into those platforms. Now we know that modeling I mean there's a lot of glamorous parts about modeling. What, what is the hardest part about modeling. The castings. Oh my goodness. When I used to live in the Philippines and I when I lived in LA I would go to many castings and you would get so excited because you really want this job. And you would get, you would get put on hold, and your agent would be like okay yeah you almost got the job you're on hold, and then you would not hear back anything and it, that was the hardest part is feeling like okay I feel so confident getting this job and then you just don't hear You know it really took a toll on my mental health is like modeling your judge completely solely on your look nothing from in here. So that's why it was hard and now I'm kind of backing away from modeling because I want people to know what's in my heart and not just this. No I'm glad you shared that because yeah it's the heart I mean people need to know what everybody has inside of them and what would you say are some of the specific reasons why you are having success now you're achieving success and you're accomplishing your goals. It has to do with my mindset I believe that I deserve everything great I always say one of my affirmations is I, I'm open to receiving all great things from the universe and so I have this mindset of positivity and I think that's what's really pushing me forward to always do my best and always be an impactful leader. And Savannah, what would you say are some of your future goals that you want to achieve. Well I'm going to miss USA. Next month actually in like six weeks so my goal is to win miss USA bring that title back home to my, my state but not only that be a leader and show other girls like you can go through adversity you can go through so many hardships but look at where I am today I am very strong minded I have a kind heart and I'm willing to help anyone that comes into my life. Would you encourage other girls to join pageants. I do I always, any girl I meet I'm like you should join this way USA you should join this way team USA like it is life changing. I've met so many amazing friends I've changed tremendously of the growth and it's the best experience experience it really helps you. I feel good as a girl or as a woman and I always say, this is how you can gain confidence, you always grow where you're uncomfortable and I was very uncomfortable, but I have grown through it and I love it and I think every, everyone should try something that they feel uncomfortable with. Well, Savannah, you are a great role model and a fantastic person and super grateful to have you on the show today and it's just amazing what you know you and your fellow Maui residents are doing to really volunteer and and help the victims of the Maui fire so really want to thank you for joining me on the show today. Thank you thank you so much for having me. And thank you for watching beyond the lines on think tech Hawaii. For more information, please visit rusty Komori calm. And my books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I hope that Savannah and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs.