A Haʻikū-based big wave surfer has a 3D-printed statue dedicated to her at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Festival in Dallas, Texas.
It’s part of an art exhibit called “#IfThenSheCan,” which showcases 26 contemporary STEM innovators who, like surfer and ocean scientist Katie Mae McConnell, have made waves in the sports world.
McConnell is a marine ecologist whose work as a diver and National Geographic explorer has taken her beneath the ice floes of Antarctica and all the way to kelp forests in Mexico.
McConnell grew up in Encinitas, California, and for the past four years, Maui has been her home.
She spoke with HPR about her lifelong love and passion for the ocean.
“I've always felt that surfing is a beautiful expression of humans getting in harmony with nature,” McConnell told HPR.
“Even if you're far from the ocean, you're still affected by it. The ocean produces half of the oxygen we breathe, so every second breath you take, you can give thanks to the ocean and all of the phytoplankton for giving that to you,” she said.
“It's the great regulator of all climate cycles across the entire earth. … It’s amazing. We live on a blue planet, and it’s awesome.”
“#IfThenSheCan — The Exhibit: Game Changers” will be on view at the Dallas FIFA Fan Festival through July 19.
This story aired on The Conversation on June 23, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
