Lehua Sandbo

Lehua Sandbo (レフア・サンボ), legal name Lehualani Ehukai Kanoa, is an actress, singer, and beauty pageant contestant who is a former member of Hello! Project, having joined in 1999 as the sole second generation member of Coconuts Musume. Lehua left Hello! Project in early 2002 to return to Hawaii and pursue her college education. She later said the aftermath of 9/11 was one of the reason she left, she wanted to be close to her family. She also said she wanted to take a break, go to college, focus on my family and friends, and be normal.the.honoluluadvertiser.com
After Hello! Project, she competed in the 2003 Miss Hawaii Pageant, being named Miss Congeniality. Lehua was also crowned Mrs. Hawaii-USA on June 6, 2008, and competed in the 2008 Mrs. United States National Pageant, where she was named Mrs. Photogenic.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Lehua was born on February 7, 1983 in Hawaii, USA to Larry and Irma Sandbo.http://web.archive.org/web/20091231143855/http://www.hawaiimrsmag.com/v1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=48
Lehua knew that she wanted to be an actress or singer since a young age. She was a very shy child until attending St. Francis School in Manoa, where teachers nurtured her talents and encouraged her to do musical plays.the.honoluluadvertiser.com During her first year of high school, she was cast in the lead in her school's musical.
===1999===
Lehua was added into Coconuts Musume in November 1999 to join the three members, Ayaka Kimura, Mika Todd and Danielle Delaunay.
She first heard of the COCONUTS MUSUME AUDITIONS from her aunt, who read about it in a Hawaii newspaper. She said,
"I wasn't going to audition at first because I just finished doing a play. Something just got into me and told me that I had to audition for it, so I called and they said that they already had auditions, but they would still take my resume and some pictures and would call me if they wanted to meet with me. A couple days after I had mailed everything in, I got a call saying that they wanted me to sing for them."
After being called back for an audition in Waikīkī, Lehua sang her rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" (originally sang by Dolly Parton). A few days later, she and two other girls were finalists in the auditions. The second part of the auditions required the girls to sing and dance a Coconuts Musume song. Lehua shocked everyone when she chose to perform the Japanese version of Dance & Chance. They also had to take pictures with Danielle, Mika, and Ayaka to see how they would look and blend with the group. After everything was said and done, Lehua was picked as the winner. By Christmas, she was on her way to Japan to start working.
===2000===
Her first recording at Hello! Project was not with the group, but with the 2000 Hello! Project Shuffle Unit, Aoiro 7.
The first Coconuts Musume single to be released with Lehua was "Tokonatsu Musume." After that single, the group released Watashi mo "I LOVE YOU", which was also fellow member Danielle Delaunay's last single.
===2001===
The three-member group only released one more single, Jounetsu Yuki Miraisen, before Lehua also went on to graduate.
===2002===
On February 17, 2002, Lehua graduated from Coconuts Musume and Hello! Project at the end of the Hello! Project 2002 ~Kotoshi mo Sugoizo!~ concert tour.
In May, Lehua was awarded the Miss Congeniality award for the Miss Hawaii USA 2003 pageant.archives.starbulletin.com/2002/05/23
She then got married to professional surfer Kapono Nahina, gave birth to a baby girl in 2004, named Kaianna, and enrolled as a nursing student at Hawaii Pacific University before deciding to return to the stage. Recently, Kaianna is a nursing student at Grand Canyon University 
===2008===
In June, Lehua was crowned Mrs. Hawaii USA and went on to compete in the 2008 Mrs. United States pageant, the only nationally televised beauty pageant for married women.
===2009===
In 2009, Lehua and Kapono Nahina divorced.
===2011===
In 2011, Lehua was one of the judges for the Miss Hawaii 2011 pageant.Official Twitter (LeiROCKstar)
===2012===
In 2012, Lehua entered the "The Great Hawaiian Host-ess Search"! Accessing their web site you could vote for your favorite, and the winner would have her photo used in at least one Hawaiian Host advertisement or product packaging design.https://platform.votigo.com/
===2014===
In 2014, Lehua was working for one of Hawaii’s Elite Plastic Surgeon’s, Dr. Jeff Healy. She said in an interview, she was not passionate about modeling like she used to be. She also said she still have to participate with any Mrs. Hawaii promotional events.Wota in Trasnlation (February 3, 2014)
===2015===
On March 2nd, Lehua and Adrian Kanoa got married. Soon after, she became pregnant with her second child.
===2016===
In March, she gave birth to her second daughter, Ava Belle.
===2017===
In July, she gave birth to her third child, Avery Kanoa.
==Profile==
==Trivia==
*She was recruited for the group after reportedly surprising the judges during the final round of auditions with two other girls when she was the only person to sing "DANCE & CHANCE" in Japanese.
*She says she still keeps in touch with other members.
*Has a brother named Karl.helloprojecthawaii/interviews
*She hinted of the possibility of a reunion tour in an interview.
*A Haiwaiian newspaper reproted Lehua had a tough time dealing with the demands of Japanese fans and quit the band after three years.starbulletin.com/2008/07/18
*She's the fourth St. Francis School graduate to win a local beauty pageant in the last eight years, following in the footsteps of Leslie Lam (Mrs. America 2000), Nadine Wise (Mrs. Hawaii 2007) and Chanel Wise (Miss Hawaii USA 2007) 
*In 2011, she said in an interview: "I am focusing on my website at the moment...trying to build up my fan base here in Hawaii. This year, I plan on launching the "store" section on www.lehuanahina.com and also plan on doing more appearances...would love to one day coordinate something with Mika and possibly take a trip back to Japan with her as well. I also work for one of Hawaii's top plastic surgeon's (which I absolutely love). I have always been pro-active when it comes to health and inner+outer beauty...it feels so rewarding to help other people feel and look better from the inside out. I have two more years of college left, but will most likely switch from a nursing major to communications...it's more relevant to my lifestyle now. I have projects lined up for the next couple of months, but cannot disclose yet. I will always keep everyone updated via www.lehuanahina.com, Facebook, Twitter, and/or Tumblr."
*In 2014, she posted a video on her Facebook of her singing "Aoi Sports Car no Otoko" a Capella.
==References==
==External Links==
*Lehua Nahina on Facebook (deleted)
*Instagram (deleted)
*Tumblr (deleted)
es:Lehua Sandbo
Category:Coconuts Musume
Category:Aoiro 7
Category:7nin Matsuri
Category:Blood Type O
Category:February Births
Category:1983 Births
Category:2000 Additions
Category:2002 Departures
Category:Members born in Showa Period
Category:Hello! Project Graduates
Category:Members born before Hello! Project's formation
Category:Members featured on Utaban
Category:Members from United States
Category:Members who are divorced
Category:Members of Filipino descent
Category:Multiethnic Members
Category:Dog
Category:Aquarius
Category:Members who are married