NATASHA KAI
Pro soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Natasha “Tasha” Kai is a forward for Sky Blue FC in the National Women’s Soccer League. A Kahuku native, Kai graduated from the University of Hawaii, where she was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year three times, the first ever to receive that honor. She set a number of WAC scoring records. After college, she played on the U.S. women’s national soccer team for seven years. As a pro, she had a previous stint with Sky Blue (2009-2010) and in 2011 played for the Philadelphia Independence. Drafted in 2013 to play soccer for the Washington Spirit, a knee injury kept her sidelined. Now she’s back with Sky Blue, and she’s in phenomenal shape. Although Kai grew up in a strict Mormon family, her parents were accepting when she came out to them. “I’m privileged and blessed to have an open-minded family who loves and supports me unconditionally,” she says. “Because I’m comfortable and confident with who I am, it allows me to express myself on and off the field. It helps me relate with teammates and people who are struggling with their own identity.” –SLO
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