MEMBER PROFILE
MEMBER PROFILE
Seraphin paddles a sailing canoe at Ka‘anapali Beach during the Maui Jim Oceanfest. Photo by Dana Edmunds
marine science education. As a professor and director at the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant Center for Marine Science Education and host of the television show Voice of the Sea , her efforts center on bringing ocean science to a wide and varied audience. Seraphin's multifaceted career reflects her unwavering dedication not only to her sport, but also to environmental stewardship. “I am so grateful to the Duke Foundation for their support,” she said at the Hawai‘i Waterman Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “For their belief in me—for opening the door to a sport that I love and to an amazing club of watermen who took me in like family.” Like Seraphin, Duplanty also benefited from the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, receiving a scholarship that provided not only financial support, but also priceless validation for his dream of one day becoming an Olympic water polo player—a pivotal moment in his athletic journey. “It was not just the grant that made a difference. It was what receiving the grant symbolized to me,” he shared with the audience at the induction ceremony. “Given the legacy which began with Duke, being a recipient gave me a belief in myself—that what I was pursuing was worthy and that I was not alone in my journey.”
have any money as a graduate student, and so I couldn't afford a board, but I started canoe paddling because that was more accessible.” Her breakthrough came when she was awarded a prestigious fellowship from the National Science Foundation to study hammerhead sharks. With this opportunity, Seraphin was able to purchase her first paddleboard, setting the stage for what would become a transformative career. Determined to take her passion further, Seraphin wrote a grant application to the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, which enabled her to enter her first Moloka‘i-to-O‘ahu (M2O) paddleboard race. Over the years, Seraphin carved out a remarkable career in the sport, earning the title of eight-time World Champion at the M2O Paddleboard Championships. In addition to her remarkable paddleboarding achievements, Seraphin has actively advanced With multiple world titles to her name, Seraphin is recognized for her enduring impact on paddleboarding and ocean stewardship. Photo by Dana Edmunds
20 AMA | MARCH / APRIL 2025
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