Photo - Diane & favorite Sister, Margie @ Kahaluu (Turtle) Beach ... Aloha!
riginally
from Los Angeles, California, Diane Dana (Welles)
at barely 19 years of age, was drawn to the Hawaiian Islands by the promise
of
warm tropical waters and abundant sea life - perfect
for diving. After graduating from San Diego State University, at age 18,
with a B.S.degree with Honors (3.95 GPA) in Business/Marketing, plus a Minor in Scuba Diving Physiology;
Diane has called Kona
her home
for over 30 years.
Kona Mermaid
One of her earliest Kona jobs played a pivotal role
in shaping her future. Diane worked on a glass
bottom boat as
a "mermaid", while scuba diving under the boat
with food to entice the fish into view of the clientele.
One fateful day while the boat was docked at the Kailua
Pier, Diane witnessed her first Ironman Triathlon.
The intense determination and dedication of the competitors
was so inspirational that shortly after she formed
a group with five members to train and compete in the
following Kona Ironman Triathlon. Of the five, one member was her sister, Margie, as well
as Bill Bell (the oldest triathlete in the world).
The Kona IronMan - Now and Then
"It's a long way from 1982, since it's 28 Years later, but nonetheless, I am still motivated and in Awe, by the huge number of Female Athletes that are now competing ... We've come A Long Way, Baby! Here's My Ironman Survival Story and I would Love to Hear about Yours too!"
In 1982, Diane competed in and finished her first Ironman Triathlon.
The race, consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike
ride, and a 26-mile run, took her 14 hours to
complete. In those fourteen hours, Diane formed an unbreakable
bond with Kona. She realized through the cheers, the
support,
the 'chicken skin' and the community spirit of just how much
Kona meant to her … a truly magical place.
Diane followed up that amazing accomplishment by starting
a family, which proved to be an even greater challenge
than the Ironman.
Following her Triathlon success, Diane and her sister Margie, both continued to compete in other Hawaii, US and International Triathlons events, that incuded Marathons.
IRONBABY
 She became the first Ironman competitor
to be a Mom, and her son Randal (that at age 10 & 12, completed two Honolulu Marathons with Diane); became the
first so-called "Ironbaby." Employing
the term "Ironbaby", Diane partnered with
Ironman to create a successful clothing line for
children up to age six with hats, shirts, joggers,
etc. Visit us at: www.ironbaby.com
Real Estate Developer & Construction Worker
Hardly
one to back down from a challenge, Diane decided
to fully pursue her dream of becoming a builder and
developer of custom homes. Starting literally in the ditches, she learned every
step in the process of homebuilding from foundation
to finish. Relying on the influence of Frank Lloyd
Wright, she designed an homage to the master with a
magnificent house in Kona. The final result of all
the years of passionate hard work was a labor of love
she named "Falling Waters Villa ", easy
walking distance to White (Magic) Sands Beach Park.
Diane
meticulously designed every element of "Falling
Waters" to create the consummate tropical getaway.
She even used Giant Open-Beam Cupolas to vent the tropical heat,
maintaining a temperature nearly 12 degrees cooler
than neighboring
homes. The interior, complete with Granite Countertops and hardwood, tile, & stone floors,
is accented by original works of local Hawaiian and
Balinese artists.
Wyland Art Director
In 1998, Diane started her career in Art Sales with Wyland galleries in Honolulu, and later was promoted to General Manager and Art Director
to the world famous marine-life artist, Wyland for his Kona art gallery.
Diane set a WyLand 'single client ' art sale record of over 1.4 Million, that still stands today, in 2010.
With over 30 years of living
in Hawaii, Diane knows all the inner workings of
Kona and can arrange
any type of activity or service including
scuba diving, fishing, helicopter rides, swimming with
the wild dolphins or Manta rays to Hawaiian Wellness & Holistic health care/treatments.
If you happen to see Diane around town, please don't be shy and introduce yourself and talk story with her.
Diane loves to chat about her current Home Improvement Projects or about her new marketing ideas and/or about her favorite Scuba Diving spots or you may see her Board Surfing with her Friends and Family at Kahaluu Beach these days.
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