A snowball fight in Hawaii? Celeste Lajala, a Native Hawaiian and retired physician, is an expert at making fitness fun. She once brought soft cloth balls to her SilverSneakers class so that members could enjoy some traditional winter excitement. And that’s just one example of the playful antics she brings to her classes. Celeste generously invests her own money into providing items like drums, ribbons, hula hoops and parachutes to not only add variety to class, but also boost her members’ sense of mental, social and physical well-being. “Her creativity makes our exercises fun and geared to each of our needs,” says one class participant.

But fun isn’t the only reason these SilverSneakers members wake up at dawn just to reserve a spot for class. “I tell everyone that Celeste’s SilverSneakers classes are probably the hardest in the island and all the Seniors in her classes are tough and strong all because of Celeste,” says another class participant. “She motivates and inspires us to do better, be better, and just be ourselves. Celeste has improved not only our bodies but also our minds and spirits,” shares another participant.

Celeste understands the importance of building a community and the impact it has. She dedicates her personal time outside of class to planning monthly potlucks and luncheons to bring the senior community together. Helping to combat social isolation – one gathering at a time – Celeste keeps a distribution list of all her members and regularly shares photos, upcoming events, and group outings, helping to cultivate a supportive and connected community that is living with purpose.

As group fitness instructor, Celeste recognized the need for senior fitness classes in her community. Taking the matter into her own hands, she became a certified SilverSneakers instructor and grew a class size of 2 participants to more than 120, all of whom she knows by name. And when two classes per week were not enough to accommodate the growing waitlists of participants, Celeste personally pushed to add even more classes to the schedule and successfully tripled the number of classes offered – creating space for even more seniors to participate.

“It is a tribute to Celeste that her following has expanded,” says one of her first two original participants. Celeste has accepted all class members into her Ohana (Hawaiian word meaning family), bringing true Aloha Spirit to her classes. “(Aloha Spirit) is the ability to accept people as they are, show genuine affection and respect to each individual, show concern for their well-being, with the only expectation being that you’ve made their day a little bit better. Celeste embodies the Aloha Spirit,” says one class participant.

Observe one of Celeste’s classes and you’ll see a thriving, connected community in motion. One member shares, “Celeste brings out the inner child in each of us, makes us joyful and truly makes each class fun (even if we can’t keep up with the squats she has us perform). ” Another participant agrees, “(Celeste’s) cheerfulness, her friendliness, her overall aura (mana) made my husband and I feel like we both belonged. She goes above and beyond just teaching classes…she embraces us all as her family!”

Winning the 2025 Instructor of the Year Award means so much to not only Celeste, but her whole class. “This is not my class…. This is something I help build as a community,” she says. “We’ve all contributed to that. (Receiving this award means) so much for our entire family. They would be so thrilled to know that we were recognized.” Celeste’s selfless dedication to serving the senior community and commitment to caring for her Ohana make her one-of-a-kind.