Ilima-Lei Macfarlane is a professional MMA fighter and proud Native Hawaiian born and raised in Honolulu. Known to fans as "The Ilimanator," she made history as Bellator's first-ever women's flyweight champ and built a reputation for her grit and submission skills.

In this episode of Here in Hawaiʻi, Ilima gets personal. She talks about her deep love for adopting rescue dogs (especially the scrappy, medical-case ones), why her family is her greatest blessing, and the unexpected way her parents responded when she told them she was ditching her academic career — master's degree and all — to become a fighter.

She opens up about her healing journey through therapy and the mental toughness it takes to step into the cage. We also hear an incredible story about her dad discovering that one of his closest friends from high school was actually his half-brother — and a heartfelt moment from Nolan about how Ilima's dad helped him graduate from Punahou.

Ilima also shares her advice for getting through heartbreak, and walks us through all the emotions leading up to her first fight at the Blaisdell — check out Episode 12 to see clips from that unforgettable night while she's talking about it.

What if the real legacy of Hawaiʻi's plantation days isn't just in our food, slang, or aloha shirts — but in our fight for solidarity?

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Kealani Cook, Associate Professor of History at UH West Oʻahu, for a mini-history lesson on how plantation-era Hawaiʻi shaped the cultural and political landscape we live in today. Dr. Cook traces his own journey — from a kid fascinated by Hawaiian history to a disillusioned teen tired of colonizer-driven narratives, and finally to a historian who now uses history as a tool to analyze power.

We dig into how racism was weaponized to divide immigrant laborers, and how, in response, powerful moments of cross-cultural union and resistance emerged. This episode is for anyone curious about what truly connects us here in Hawaiʻi — and why understanding our past is key to building a stronger future.

You can find the TV episodes of Here in Hawaiʻi on our website, https://hereinhawaiitv.com

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What does it take to become a doctor when no one in your family has even gone to college? In this episode, we sit down with Emily Erika — a first-generation Filipina and medical student — as she shares her incredible journey from doubting her dream to becoming the first in her family to pursue a career in medicine.

Emily opens up about the cultural and financial hurdles she faced, learning she had ADHD after struggling through her first board exam, and why representation in medicine matters. She also talks about the mentors who helped her along the way and how she landed a full-ride scholarship to med school — changing not just her life, but her family's legacy.

If you've ever felt like your dream was too big or too far out of reach, Emily's story will remind you: you belong here.

Learn more about the scholarship Emily talks about at https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/overview

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