HIT and KDTA Tennis Volunteers with Kauai Mayor Carvalho and his wife, Regina

Between 700-1000 Kauaians showed up for the Hawaii Health Guide Kauai Healing Garden Festival at Kilohana on Saturday, August 22. The Hawaiian Isles Tennis and KDTA volunteers presented the HIT Play Tennis! event and put a tennis racket into many attendees hands for some activity on the lawn. Was fun! People of all ages and stages were encouraged to play, stay active and develop a strong sense of wellness the more they play and get together in community.

Annabel, Shay, Leilani, Madison and Lani Rae (not pictured) did the demo on center stage.

On Sunday, Lani Rae Green trained for three hours with Leilani Magee to promote fluid, trainable, effective movement and to focus her efforts. The Boys & Girls Club Play Tennis! event at the Waimea Clubhouse took place on Monday and was over the top fun with impressive participation by youth and volunteers. More pics to follow.

Mahalo nui to Kauai's community and tennis players for spending time with us on Saturday. It was my pleasure to get together. For a direct connection to tennis in Hawaii, join HIT at www.hitennis.net. There's no charge, and an abundance of aloha.

Annabel and Madison stepped up to demonstrate mini tennis in front of a couple hundred people.

Mini-tennis outdoors on grass is easy and accessible.

Jerry Green volunteers at Play Tennis!

Shay Orial and Lani Rae Green before taking center stage!

Kauai District Tennis Assn. President, Carolyn Lum, Asst. to the Mayor Gary Heu and Leilani

Tennis for all!

Julian gets some alternative healing

It took great will and positivity for young Julian Rimm to face and survive his ordeal with ankle cancer. “Jules” is the 14 year old tennis playing son of Gabi and Michael Rimm. He is the younger of the two Maui Rimm boys of Upcountry, both of whom I taught tennis to at the beginning of the millennium. I remember them being fluid and graceful athletes with great warmth in their hearts, terrific students of life.

Summer ’08 was a summer unlike all previous summers in the lives of the Rimm ohana, a family of abundant internal sunshine, spirit and faith. I found out from mom, Gabi that Jules was diagnosed with cancer. He had a tumor in his ankle. Surgery and chemotherapy were in his future.

The Rimms had a strong reaction to this adversity. Rather than shut down to take care of their son, they opened themselves up and reached out to community through the internet. The parents wrote, asking for prayers. They shared how they took on the disease, met it head on and engaged all resources known and unknown to help a child deal with cancer.

By now Julian has lived through chemo, surgery, chemo again, black toes and is in the process of rehabilitating himself. So far, he’s made it through a myriad of trials and benchmarks including his hair falling out. “...we all knew (it) was bound to happen but is difficult to prepare for. Being the wonderful dad that he is, Mike allowed Jules to shave his head, which Jules proceeded to do only after shaving a bull’s eye target on the back of Mike’s head.”

"We’re trying to stay positively focused and to remember that Jules (and all of us) will come through this much more of who we were born to be. The surgery to remove the tumor is reconstructive and Jules is expected to have full functioning of his ankle.  We have been so fortunate and blessed to have our travel paid for by the Make a Wish Foundation.”

Jules had surgery on September 23rd and did very well.  The surgery removed the entire tumor with good margins. He is back on Maui, with family, taking each day visualizing full recovery and total health. It has been a far from easy path. There were many setbacks, returns to the hospital, surgeries. Eventually, on May 30, 2009 with the help of crutches, Julian was able to attend his older brother Adrian’s graduation.

Julian attends Adrian's graduation at Seabury Hall

July 6, 2009, the Rimms report they hope “there is no need for further surgeries to correct the defects on his foot and that he will be able to have full use of his foot (walking, running surfing, jumping, playing) in the very near future.  We have been amazed at the extent to which Jules has recovered his strength, stamina, and his ability to walk for short periods without the use of his crutches. He’s having a great summer so far!”

Rimm Brothers July '09