Crowned & Candid: Living Authentically, Healing Deeply with Miss Hawaii 2024, Hayley Cheyney Kane

Introduction

In this heartfelt installment of Crowned & Candid, Raeanna sits down with Miss Hawaii 2024, Hayley Cheyney Kane; a titleholder whose reign has been defined by authenticity, advocacy, and aloha. As a preventative medicine educator and the first openly gay Miss Hawaii, Hayley brings a message that extends far beyond the crown: true wellness begins with self-compassion.

Their conversation unfolds against a backdrop of shared vulnerability. With Raeanna navigating her father’s recent stroke, the two women connect deeply on themes of health, healing, and what it really means to take care of yourself, not just as a titleholder, but as a human being.

---

Q&A with Miss Hawaii 2024, Hayley Cheyney Kane

Q: Hayley, tell us a little bit about who you are beyond the crown.

Hayley: I’m 28 and from the island of O‘ahu, in a town called Kāne‘ohe. I’m nearing the end of my year as Miss Hawaii 2024, and it’s been such a ride. I currently work as a preventative medicine educator at a federally qualified health center, focusing on helping underserved communities prevent lifestyle-related illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure.

That work is personal to me. Native Hawaiians are disproportionately affected by heart disease and diabetes. My passion grew even deeper after my partner lost her mother to a heart attack at just 45. It’s something that could have been prevented, and it’s become my mission to make sure fewer families experience that kind of loss.

---

Q: You teach about self-care and prevention. Why do you think it’s so hard for us to prioritize that?

Hayley: We live in a culture that glorifies overworking. We’re told to “push through” and “sleep later.” But if we don’t take care of ourselves now, our future quality of life suffers.

The key is starting small. I tell people: add 15 extra minutes of sleep. Eat one more carrot stick. Give yourself a high five in the mirror. The goal isn’t massive change, it’s building consistency through tiny, sustainable actions that remind you you’re worth the effort.

---

Q: Speaking of high fives in the mirror, you quoted Mel Robbins during our chat. What role does positive self-talk play in your daily life?

Hayley: It’s everything. Positive self-talk keeps me grounded. I had to learn that I’m the only one responsible for my happiness and growth.

As the first openly gay Miss Hawaii – and one of the first openly gay state titleholders in the Miss America system – there were moments I feared what people might say. But I told myself daily, “My only job is to be me.” Once I embraced that, I stopped living for approval and started living in peace. Authenticity gave me freedom.

---

Q: “Authenticity” is such a buzzword. How do you personally define it?

Hayley: For me, authenticity feels like that moment on stage when your nerves are buzzing, then you take a deep breath, exhale, and finally feel present in your body.

It’s that clarity that comes when you let go of trying to perform for others and just be. That’s authenticity: being fully yourself, unfiltered, unforced, and unafraid to let people see your humanity.

---

Q: You’ve been so open about identity and representation. Why did you choose to center your Community Service Initiative, “Aloha Is for Everyone,” around wellness instead of queer advocacy?

Hayley: Because I didn’t want my queerness to be my whole thing. I wanted it to be normal. It’s part of who I am, not all of who I am.

“Aloha Is for Everyone” embodies self-acceptance. You can’t love yourself if you don’t fully know yourself. For me, embracing my identity was part of loving and caring for myself emotionally, spiritually, and physically. The initiative connects wellness, authenticity, and compassion through the Hawaiian concept of aloha, which literally means “to breathe life into others.”

---

Q: You mentioned earlier that wellness for you comes one coffee at a time. What does taking care of yourself actually look like during your reign?

Hayley: It’s truly one coffee at a time! I learned to take things in bite-sized pieces. My partner has been incredible. She keeps me grounded, makes sure I eat, rest, and remember that I’m doing enough.

My tribe (my sister, my foster family, even my drag mother) have all played huge roles in holding me up. They remind me that I’m still just Haley, not just Miss Hawaii. That community care has been essential to my own self-care.

---

Q: You’ve talked about burnout and being misunderstood, especially balancing work and the crown. What did that season teach you?

Hayley: Burnout is real. I was juggling my job in healthcare while serving as Miss Hawaii, and it felt like neither world truly understood the other. My workplace didn’t always see the value of what I was doing. I constantly had to explain that being Miss Hawaii wasn’t just “wearing a crown.” It was advocating for health equity and inspiring community connection.

There were moments of loneliness, too. But what got me through was realizing that I can’t pour into others from an empty cup. Sleep, movement, nourishing food, and grace; those became my tools for healing.

---

Q: You’ve described yourself as “the real Miss Hawaii.” What does that mean to you?

Hayley: I think I’ll be remembered as the Miss Hawaii who wasn’t afraid. I’m not the cookie-cutter pageant type. I’m a little rough around the edges – what we call a local tita: blunt, honest, unpolished, and proud of it.

When I became Miss Hawaii, I expected to be told to tone that down, but it was the opposite. People wanted that realness. They connected with it. Authenticity turned out to be my greatest strength.

---

Q: What advice would you give to the next Miss Hawaii or any woman stepping into a season of growth?

Hayley: Pageantry is the ultimate self-growth pressure cooker. You’ll never learn more about yourself than when you step into this space.

So:

• You are already brave for stepping on that stage.
• You are already enough, regardless of outcome.
• Take it one moment, one coffee, at a time.

And to the next Miss Hawaii: embody aloha. It’s not just a greeting, it’s the breath of life we give to ourselves and to others. Be that light. Breathe compassion into every space you enter. And most of all, get out of your own way.

---

Q: Before we close, you shared a message that hit home for me personally. Would you repeat it for our readers?

Hayley: You can only do the next best thing. You can’t change the past, and you can’t control everything ahead. The best medicine is self-compassion, because when you heal your heart, you naturally start making better choices for your body.

And for caretakers, like you, Raeanna, remember that you deserve the same care you give to others. Fill your cup. Rest. You’re worth it.

---

Fearlessly Authentic Takeaway

Our conversation with Hayley Cheyney Kane is a reminder that the most powerful form of authenticity is compassion – both for ourselves and for others. Through her advocacy, her openness, and her unwavering honesty, Hayley embodies the spirit of aloha that breathes life into everything she touches.

Her story isn’t just about pageantry, it’s about healing, humanity, and heart.