As the final weeks of summer give way to the start of the fall semester, student-athletes across the University of Hawai’i are gearing up for a new season. Among them is Rainbow Wahine cheerleader Rachel Radona, a senior balancing the excitement of game day with the quiet concentration of her canvas.
Radona, an ‘Aiea native and Kamehameha Schools graduate, is more than just a presence on the sidelines. When she’s not rallying fans at UH sporting events, she’s making her mark across the islands as a muralist, using her art to connect with the community in meaningful ways.
An art and history major at UH Mānoa, Radona also works as a graphic designer for T&C Surf Designs. Over the years, her vibrant mural work has popped up at schools, shopping centers, hotels and, most recently, Waiola Shave Ice in Kapahulu, all spaces brought to life through her artistic vision.
“Art is not just mine, it’s everybody’s,” Radona said. “I want everybody to have a voice and share what they want to share. It means so much to me to give people something to express themselves with. Sharing that passion, that’s the best feeling ever.”
While cheerleading and painting might seem like opposite ends of the spectrum, one a whirlwind of energy and noise, the other a quiet act of creation, Radona sees a powerful link between the two.
“I went into cheer because it’s all about connection,” she explained. “We’re not there to just perform and throw up a couple of stunts. We’re there to make the crowd have a great experience. I bring that into my art, it’s not just my art, it’s their art. I’m just helping them express it.”
It’s that sense of shared experience and emotional commitment that drives Radona in both arenas. Whether soaring through the air or brushing paint on a wall, she finds strength in decisiveness and trust.
“Cheer has definitely helped me with confidence in art,” Radona said. “We have to be fully committed to this stunt or anything before something goes up and just be confident in yourself that you know what you’re doing and it definitely helps me in art. Now I feel a lot more confident to just be myself.”
As she prepares for her final year at UH, Radona hopes her summer side projects can grow into something bigger. While murals have filled her break months in recent years, she plans to keep the creative momentum going even after graduation.
“I just want to keep sharing aloha through art,” she said. “Hawaii is wonderful and that aloha that we share is just truly amazing and I can’t ask for anything greater than that.”
To see more of Radona’s art, visit her website, by clicking here.