 Wendy Lowe, and today we're taking your health back, streaming live from our studios in Tingtec, Hawaii in downtown Honolulu and from my home office in Makiki. Today, I'd like to introduce to you a really neat young man. His name is Kinau McBrayer, but I heard this man's testimony. I just knew I had to invite him to share his heart, his journey and to let everyone know and him as well that the best is yet to come. So welcome, Kinau. Mahalo, Wendy. Thank you for having me again. It's an honor to be here to speak with you. Yes, and I know you have a great story to share and to inspire so many, not just the young people, but Kupuna's and everybody out there that everyone has some adversities in their lives, but with faith and good mentors around you, all things are possible. So let's get started. So tell me a little bit about yourself, your humble beginnings and about your Oana. So I was born here. I was born and raised here on Oahu and right now I'm 17 years old. I have seven siblings, three brothers and four sisters. I have a pretty blended family, you know. I live in Kapolei, Kapolei Homesteads, Hawaiian Homes and I recently graduated from Kapolei High School class of 2022. A few things about me, you know, I like to play football and I wrestle, those are the two things and also like to skateboard and just do a lot of things outdoors. I really found my love for wrestling later on in my life and something I wish I'd done earlier, but it was all meant to be. And, you know, growing up out of young age, it was, I had hard time focusing in class and, you know, just paying attention. I would say when I was in around like middle school or not middle school, but growing up like young elementary, you know, just in the class just having a hard time reading. I just, because of that, you know, my mom and dad thought that it was a good idea to get me to read the Bible at a young age, just, you know, to boost my reading and my comprehension, I guess, you know, just to help me out in school more and they thought it would help and, you know, I just continued to do that every day at a young age and it really did help me in the future. Wow, so mom and dad really know best, right? So it's like most kids learn the ABCs and all the key nursery books, but they gave you the Bible, you dove into Psalms and Proverbs and the rest is history because you're deeply rooted from the time you were just a cakey. But, you know, Hinau, I know that you had some challenges when your mom was giving birth to you. Tell us a little bit about what that was like, what was that about? Also, from the time before I was even born, you know, like I said, it was challenging adversity from the start. Me and mom had almost died from when she was giving birth to me because she had an allergic reaction when, you know, the doctor gave her some penicillin and she just started like over-breathing and she couldn't breathe and they took me into ICU and that's where it was like, oh, am I gonna die? My mom and dad just thought I was gonna die and I wasn't gonna make it and mom wasn't gonna make it. So, you know, dad prayed for us, prayed that everything goes well, that I would come out stable and the doctors even said it themselves. They said, you know, I could be having brain damage and nerve injury and just a lot of things and my dad just wished that never upon me and just prayed about it and I ended up being born and I was fine with nothing. Everything was great. Wow, the power of prayer and a believing mother and father to get you through all those adversities from the very get go and I know it didn't stop there but share with us who supported you through all your troubles at home and just growing up as a young man. Well, growing up, you know, it's, everyone, a lot of people have this, you know, you know, when you're, I had my, and when I, by the time I was second grade, you know, my dad relapsed on drugs and it was hard. I was young, I didn't really understand much but, you know, my mom was there for me and I also had my siblings. I had my older brother and my younger sister too, you know, I really just, I wanted to be there for her as well. She was more young than me and so, you know, I just, I really had to be there for her and just support her along what was going on at home but mom, she just continued to pray for, you know, not just me but for my sister and for our better future as a family and she was supportive, you know, and whatever I did and she just continued to pray, you know, despite my dad's absence that I would be raised to just be strong and, you know, just have a good future. Wow, the strength of a praying mother. So, in essence, she was a single mom raising all of you and that, you know, that those times for all of you meeting a father at home, you know, but just the power of prayer took the place of dad not being there and I'm sure it gave you a lot of strength and hope during those times as a young elementary student. So, now let's take it up to the point where you're going to Kapolei Middle School. Who are some of the people who supported you throughout your years in intermediate school? So, like I said earlier, you know, I had, when I was in a young age in elementary, I had a hard time learning so, but you know, by the time I got to middle school, you know, I met Mr. Chang who, he was my brother's teacher before because my brother is two years older than me so he taught my brother and when he got to see me, he's like, oh wow, I have another McBrayer. I get to teach, you know, and he was really there for me, you know, when time was hard, you know, he helped me throughout all, tutored me throughout all of sixth grade. I had him as my teacher, I'll be there after class. Even when I graduated, I was still there to see him, you know, seven and eight grade and he just guided me, you know, just supported me, decided that, you know, I gotta get good grades and whatever I did, he was willing to help with anything, you know, whether that was buying me shoes or you know, he also gave me a haircut and he just provided so much for me, even though like things was going hard at home, he was just there to support me and whatever I needed. Wow, so we gotta give a shout out to Mr. Chang and all the other Mr. Changs in everyone else's school that these teachers go beyond the call and they know, they sense that, you know, things are not the same for you or some of the other students. So they dig into their hearts and really reach out and adopt you as their own. So he bought you a pair of shoes, how did that happen? Oh my goodness. So like back when I was in middle school, I loved skateboarding, you know, that was something that I would do with dad when I was young and he would always take me. So when he was gone, you know, I still skated but there was, I didn't really, at the time when he was gone, we didn't have the money to get me new shoes and he's seen it, you know, I came to class and he's like, why are your shoes looking like that for us? Like the whole thing was ripped off and he really just, he asked me, he's like, do you need me to buy you a new pair of shoes? I said, yes, please, why not? And like two days later, he came with a brand new box and just handed it to me and he didn't do it in front of all the other students, you know, he just handed it to me personally and I was just super grateful for that. It really showed his heart for me, you know. Wow, you know, it takes two though, you know, people often give, you know, like he wanted to, he offered you a pair of shoes, you know, most students would say, oh no, no, no, no, no, it's okay, I don't need, I don't need any, even though the need is there. So I wish, and I'm praying that others who could see this story realize that, you know what, it's okay to receive and you are okay to receive and because you receive, the blessings just came out further. And now you felt like I was getting the pair of shoes and I'm so blessed. But you know, if I, and I will meet Mr. Chang, that when I talk to him, I'm sure he's gonna tell me, Wendy, he thought he was being blessed with his pair of shoes but actually Mr. Chang probably was even more blessed than you or him to give you than for you to receive. And so that's the power of what we have, we have to be able to receive and give both are duly important in our journey. So to say for you, that you were there to receive and you know, not ashamed or you know, that yes, I need shoes and you wanna give me a pair of shoes, thank you. He also gave you a haircut, how did he do that? Oh, my hair was, my hair was down to my neck and, you know, and Mr. Chang just, he took the time to just offer me one. He's like, your hair's really long, I really think you should cut it because he had short hair and he thought my long hair and he really asked me, he heard me. So, you know what, and I just, I went with it, you know, I just thought it really was helpful for him to do that because it was long. Wow, again, shout out to Mr. Chang and I'm looking forward to meeting you Mr. Chang and I will have a cup of coffee or something with you and you know, before he pushes off to college. But you know, you're so blessed, you had a Mr. Chang in your life. You also have an amazing Ohana around you and your brother, I know he's a great influencer in your life. So what is the greatest piece of advice that he gave you as you entered into high school? You know, it's always good having an older brother in your life because I feel like the job of an older sibling is to guide the younger siblings to do better, you know? And I really did have that. He encouraged me to join wrestling when I was playing football at the time, when I was a freshman and I didn't know anything about wrestling, I didn't know what I could do, how good I was. And you know, he just, you know, he motivated me. He encouraged me to come out and try new things. And that's actually also right there at our first ever wrestling tournament. And that's just the bond we had, you know? And throughout, I ended up doing it throughout all my years of high school. And by the time after I found out about wrestling, you know, I just thought that football wasn't for me. And I know I did train a lot for football, but a lot of the football things did translate to the next word I was doing, which was wrestling. And it really was just, I met a lot of people along the way of that. And my brother just really helped guide me along the way, which was great. You know, I know you mentioned that you're not a tall kid or a big kid. So was that a factor why wrestling was more competitively attractive to you? Oh, yes, you know, I was a freshman. You know, I wasn't the biggest guy. I was only 100 pounds playing football. And in football, there is no weight limit, you know? So you could be anything. And it was just hard for me to get big, you know? So I thought wrestling was more of my thing. You know, you had weight classes. It was one-on-one. I really, that's one thing I really liked was it's you and versus one person. And I feel like I had a lot of heart, you know, because of the things I went through. And I showed more heart when I was doing wrestling instead of, you know, playing football. And that's something I found later on. Wow. I mean, another blessing right there, your brother leading you to what is more of your passion than versus what you thought you wanted, which was football. But in actuality, I think wrestling is your niche. So what a great piece of advice your brother encouraged you with and that you accepted it. So you see the whole pattern here, Kinau, is that people are there, you know, you ask, you pray, and God answers all the prayers in some form, but you don't even know sometimes what we're asking for but the answer, he's giving it to you already. And the good thing about you, you know when to receive it. And so that's the blessing and you continue to do that, you know, because that's your strength right there. So I know you made it to high school. You're loving wrestling. You know that football is not really your thing. So what, tell me about another challenge that you had while you were in high school. Oh, so you know, that's a, there's a lot of challenges we face in high school, you know. So one thing for me was I found out I loved wrestling so much and you know, I had really good teammates. I actually had a teammate that ended up wrestling in division one for Wyoming. And you know, just seeing him, how good he was doing just inspired me to do, to want to do good. And he had state titles too. And he won, and I thought, you know, I think I could do it, he could do it. He's training in the same room as me. I could do it as well. So I ended up, I set a goal for myself. I wanted to win states my sophomore year and coming towards the end of the season, just two weeks before the state championship. I got, I tore my MCL, which was in my knee and that was bad, you know. There was a lot of just injuries and that really brought me down a little bit, you know, just my confidence and, you know. And I just prayed on it. I just prayed that me and my mom just prayed, you know, that all goes well and that I still have time. I still got two more years. I still can do it. And we just, that's all we could do really was pray and just rest. And then in your sophomore year, you had those injuries. And then what happens in your junior year? And then after all that, you know, me and mom continued to pray. We, you know, we have to stay strong in moments like this, but coming into the next season, you know, bang, just COVID shuts everything down. So I had, of my sophomore year, I had injured and then my junior year, we had to take out everything and everything was shut down. So we had no sports and that just really made me be like more of a bummer and I thought that was just, it was all done. But, you know, I still have to have faith. I have one more year left and it really just came down to that. And all my time from the day I started really came down to that last year. Wow. And you had to go through all that testing. I mean, I know athletes were going through a lot of decisions that they had to make. And, you know, things that they had to do just to be able to play. What were some of the challenges with that? Oh, you know, some things we had to do was we had to get tested for COVID twice a week, actually. So if you weren't vaccinated like me, I wasn't vaccinated. I just, I didn't, I personally just think I didn't need it. And I just, you know, it was, it was hard because mostly every one of my wrestling team was vaccinated and it was kind of just me. And you know, I just had to, it was scary because if you test positive, you know, you have to sit out. And I didn't want to sit on nothing machine here. I didn't want to sit on no tournaments. I wanted to just compete and, you know, just work my way up. But I just prayed to, you know, I went to church, I prayed to my pastor, shout out to pastor Alan from Non-Icabona, Prada State Church. And we prayed every week that, you know, that I wouldn't get sick and that we just pray that nothing comes to me or for me. And you don't come to find out throughout the whole year, I didn't get tested once. I didn't get tested positive once. Oh, again, the power of prayer. Yes. Being a prayer warrior, that your family is around you as well and the power of prayer surrounds you. So of course, we all know you are certainly blessed with great mentors in your life, but please share with us a little bit about these two coaches in your life in those senior years. Oh, so right after COVID, you know, I'm going into my senior year, I really had to take things serious, you know. We had to take the O's my last year and that's what it really matters is your senior and junior year. So I had to show out and, you know, I really needed to get the extra work in and I was, I had a few teammates that went to go train outside of high school and that's when I met coach Koo and coach Rob from Hawaii Wrestling Academy and shout out to Hawaii Wrestling Academy, you know. They really took care of me, they took me and I feel like as their own kid and, you know, they love me. I told them my goals and they just were there to support me, you know. And I feel like that's something I really needed was just someone to guide me and just help me along winning my goals and they was there for me, you know, throughout the whole thing, the whole entire journey of my year. I only went to that club for one year and I just learned so much as not even in wrestling, you know, just they taught me things outside of wrestling, you know, just being a great person because it really doesn't matter how good of a wrestler you are, you know. Outside of wrestling, what are you? Are you a great person? How are you as a person? And that's one thing that was really important to them was how you carry yourself outside of wrestling and they really just helped shape me into the person I am today for sure. I wouldn't doubt that, you know. Time was hard, we didn't really have money but they're there to help and pay for me and just guiding me along the way. Wow, what an impact these educators, these teachers, these coaches, you know, have again, a shout out to coach John Robinson and Coach Kuo for loving you and I'm sure loving all their athletes that they work with and just being able to mentor them in the most positive way, not just coach them but mentor them and look at the results. That's why we must, we make sure, you know, that you share this video with them because let them continue to be inspired and acknowledge that all their love and hugs did not go to space but it really boosted you up especially I'm sure when you needed it. So I know that you not only had sports coaches in your life but you had a significant pastor in your life who has mentored and encouraged you as well. I mean, I've worked with this pastor, love him, his heart for the young, the youth, the keiki is just transcendingly profound to guide anyone in a positive direction. Please share with us a little bit about this pastor. You know, my pastor from like I mentioned earlier, he's a big believer and he loves, he just continues to love on others and he has that spirit of aloha that's one thing I see in him that I like to, you know, I look up to that, you know, I like to see that. And, you know, he really just, he prayed for me like I said during my whole season throughout injuries, throughout things at home he just prayed that especially before my state tournament, you know, I really, I came up to him and I said, pastor, I need some prayers and he was always there for me. He always was there because like I said, season felt like a gamble, you know, every week we wanted, we had to see the test results and every time my mom might get the test results she would just pray that, you know, it wouldn't come out positive. So every week and mom and pastor just, she just prayed, you know, that's all they could do was pray and hope for the best in me and everything came out well, pastor Allen was there. And when I told him everything after he was just in shock and he was like, I knew you could do it. He wasn't really in shock, he knew it but I was just so happy to have him in my life, you know. Wow. So now spiritual health is so key, you know not just mental and nutritional but spiritual health is so key and you are a living example of this. So, well, you know, I know that you had so many adversities in your life from the day you were born even before you were born. How do you think you pulled off the greatest accomplishment of your young life in the wrestling field? Oh, it really was just, you know, for one you have to, you gotta be a believer and you gotta believe that you can accomplish those things and you can only do that through God and he was my center throughout the whole journey and from a young age, my dad planted that seed in me, you know, to just continue to read the Bible every morning. And I didn't really realize that until later on in my life but, you know, the seed was planted and I feel like, you know, it came later on in the future everything came out well and you gotta just really surround yourself with, you know, right people who believe in you and that will guide you along the way. You know, I was fortunate enough to have a lot of great people in my life but that there's a plan and everything will come out well. You just gotta pray and you gotta have a good physical strength, mentally strength and you gotta be spiritually strong as well. I mean, you won the state championship in your senior year, 2021, 22. 22. Yeah, so that's like, wow, from football, desire to, oh yeah, I'll do wrestling, to loving wrestling, adversities throughout the years and then pulling it off by bringing home the state champ in your weight division. Kudos to you, congratulations to you, Kinau. I mean, you're a walking testimony and continue to share this journey, this story because wow, not just I've always second or third, you're the state champ. So I'm so excited and so proud of you as well. And I know that to get to that point, your nutritional health had to be a play a role in this too. So tell us, what was your nutritional journey or exercise journey like? You know, like I said, my coaches at my club, they just teach me about that. They also taught me about nutrition and health and not just health, but mental health as well, you know, just make sure you're staying on the right path and you got to whatever the things you put in your body does affect you and it does change your, it can change your mood and your performance and how you act on things, but they just, you know, just living a healthy lifestyle is important because it does change your personality and how you are, but just eating the right foods, you know, staying hydrated and, you know, just having spiritual strength as well. That's one thing that definitely helped me throughout the journey I had. Well, there you go. Your spiritual health is so key. I mean, even first over nutritional health because your spiritual being was so healthy that what it helps you to guide yourself to eating and stewarding much better, you know, your body, the way that God intended all of us to steward our bodies. So not only did you become the state champ in your senior year, you also received an award and I want to say for not just this senior year, but for the last three years, what is this award? Tell us about it and what did it take for you to get that award? So this award was given to me by my counselor for my academy and my academy is building construction. You know, that's one thing my dad does and he's a construction worker before. And that's one thing I enjoyed doing and I really was just, you know, I got it for just being positive and I had a good attitude towards my teachers and, you know, not just my teachers, but my peers. And I was in the academy for three years from I started from my software and did my senior year. And, you know, to me, it wasn't just, I didn't really just get that, you know, it really to me, it was just, you know, just being a loha and having, letting the Holy Spirit just guide me along the way and just being a good person. And then just building relationships from there because you attract people when you're kind and everyone was just there and I was there to help and everything just went well. I had a good relationship with my teachers as well, which is really important. Yes, that's very important that you could go to them and talk to them. And they felt very comfortable because you were receiving their advice and their, you know, their guidance. So that's, it's a two-way street because a lot of times teachers want to teach and advise but the students, they don't want to receive it. So then the door is closed and so you can't grow because your door is closed but your doors were always open. And I also want to mention that your mom, you didn't even share this with your mom. Your humility, your humbleness is just overwhelming because you received this award and you didn't like go around and say, look, I got the award, I got the award again and again and again. You just did what you had to do. People saw that in you. They acknowledged you with this award for three years. So again, Kinau, who does this? This is amazing. Okay, so it doesn't stop there, guys. This is just the beginning of Lloyd's accolades and his accomplishments. So I heard that three days before graduating that you received another award. And I understand that this is one of the highest awards that you could receive in a school year. Please share with us a little bit about this award from Papalei High School. Oh, so this right here, I got this my senior year and at the end of the year, we had a school assembly where everyone comes and I knew I was gonna be awarded my state champ award, me and my teammate who also won and I didn't know I was gonna get that a hurricane of the year award. And when they gave it to me, I was like, well, what is this? And my principal looked at me and he said, you deserve that, Kinau. And I was just in shock. Me and one other person got that. She was a girl who also played soccer and we got it because we showed the qualities of our school model carrying dignity and integrity. And we had the qualities of leaders, just not for me, not on the mat, not in sports, but in the classroom as well. And we also maintained good grades which our principal saw and he really just wanted to show us that. Well, yeah, talk about good grades, cum laude, four-year honoree. I mean, like they said you might be brain dead or brain damage. I don't see any of that right here. Thank you, Jesus. Cum laude, four-year honoree. Like wow. And then a four-year ride to university. What university are they sending you to? I'm gonna be actually flying out pretty soon to the University of Providence in Montana. So I'm excited for that and just thank God for that. And I pray that he guides me along in college too. We'll still face challenges. Yeah, he's been with you all along and he's gonna not let you go because you're not letting him go. So before we stand, I do wanna share this one photo of you which I love the best because when I heard your dad talk about you here, it frontiers to all of us in the audience. At this time, what is it that you would like to leave and inspire and encourage our audience with Kina'u? You know that your adversities in life, it's not defeat, but it's just opportunity for resilience and we're all gonna face challenges, but there's always good and bad and you just gotta have faith in that good will come and that surrounding yourself with right people and that God will just put the right people in your life and everything will come into place. But you know, like in the pitch or souls, I was just pointing to him, you know that's exactly that's from the start, he was there. Amen. Wow, Kina'u, our time has just flown by. I wanna say mahalo, Kina'u McRayer for sharing your heart, your pains, your struggles and your victories with us. We'll be back in two weeks with more of Taking Your Health Back. Congratulations to you, Kina'u. All the travel mercies to you, to your family and have a great time in Montana and we'll be waiting for you to come home. Aloha. Thank you very much, Aloha. Thank you so much for watching Think Tech Hawaii. If you like what we do, please like us and click the subscribe button on YouTube and the follow button on Vimeo. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and donate to us at thinktechhawaii.com. Mahalo.