Ben Ohai: Father, Wrestler, and Family Man Explained

Who Is Ben Ohai?

People who are looking for Ben Ohai often find him through his daughter, Kealia Ohai Watt, who is a famous soccer player.

But to think of Ben Ohai only as the dad of a great athlete would be to miss a much more interesting story.

Ben Ohai is a proud son of Hawaii, a devoted husband, and the founder of a family culture based on discipline, faith, and unconditional love. He used to be a college wrestling winner.

Ben has always been quiet behind the scenes, cheering from the stands, coaching through private conversations, and showing his four daughters the values he wanted them to carry with them into adulthood.

His daughter is famous in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), with millions of followers. His story should be told the way it was meant to be told.

At DDA Blogs, we cover the unsung figures behind public success stories. Just as we explored the private strength of

Just as we explored the private strength of Jeanette Adair Bradshaw and the quiet resilience of Anna Mbatha, Ben Ohai represents a powerful reminder that the people standing off-camera often shape the greatest champions.

Quick Facts

Early Life: Roots in Hawaii

Hawaii is a beautiful group of islands where Ben Ohai was born. Polynesian culture, strong community ties, and respect for nature are all important parts of everyday life there.

Ben’s upbringing in Hawaii shaped how he deals with family, competition, and his own personality for the rest of his life.

Respecting elders, being humble when things go well, and being strong when things go wrong were not just ideas that were taught to him; they were live traditions that he picked up from the people around him.

The name Ben gave his most famous daughter is a strong sign of how much he cared about his Hawaiian ancestry.

Kealia Ohai Watt got her first name from Kauai’s Kealia Beach, which is also where Ben was born.

That choice wasn’t made by accident. It was an act of national pride and emotional connection that made sure his family would always have a piece of Hawaii with them, no matter how far they went away from the islands.

Ben’s family moved from Hawaii to California when he was only ten years old. This move opened up new places to live, schools, and chances.

But instead of making Ben lose touch with his roots, the move seemed to make him stronger, giving him an adaptable resilience that would later shape both his sports career and the way he raises his children.

Athletic Glory: Ben Ohai Wrestling Career at BYU

While in school, Ben Ohai went to Cerritos College before starting at Brigham Young University (BYU).

It was there that he set one of the best college wrestling records of all time. He also went to the University of Utah, where he improved both his intellectual and athletic skills.

At BYU, Ben found a rare and fierce skill in wrestling. The sport required not only great physical strength but also mental toughness: the ability to read an opponent, keep calm under pressure, and push through pain to win. Ben was great at everything.

• Record for career: 116 wins and only 8 losses, which is over 93% of the time.
• League: Ben won the league title for the Western Athletic Conference.
• Perfect Season: In 1974, he went a full season without losing a game, which is a record that shows how fit and dominant he was in competition.

Ben never became a professional wrestler, but the lessons he learned back then stayed with him forever. Stick to it. Listen.

The power to get back up after losing. Of course, he taught these values to his daughters, and you can see them most clearly in Kealia’s ability to come back from serious injuries and work at a professional level.

Much like Jamie Hartwright, whose father’s public career cast a long shadow over her own achievements, Ben Ohai built his legacy not in the spotlight but in the foundational work done long before any cameras arrived.

Family Life: The Foundation Ben and Cindy Built

Meeting Cindy Ohai

While Ben was at Brigham Young University, he met Cindy, who would become his wife. They have been together for decades because they share the same faith, beliefs, and goals for family life.

A house in California was built for their four daughters, Kealia, Megan, Cambria, and Aubrey. They taught their girls to work hard, stay humble, help each other, and never let fame become the measure of success.

The Four Ohai Daughters

• Kealia Ohai Watt: Kealia is the most well-known of the four sisters. J.J. Watt, a former NFL player, is her husband.
• Watt and has played forward for several NWSL teams. She has said in public that her confidence on and off the field comes from the fact that her father believes in her.
• Megan Cushing: Megan is the oldest daughter. She played soccer at the University of Southern California (USC) and now works as a coach and health blogger.
• Cambria Ohai: Cambria is going to school to get a degree in marketing and has made her own way in the business world. She has a private life and shows the drive and focus that her parents taught her.
• Aubrey Ohai: Aubrey, the youngest, just finished from New York University and is starting her own career. She often posts sweet pictures of her and her sisters on social media.

Each daughter shows a different part of what Ben and Cindy built: a wide range of interests and shared beliefs.

It’s possible that this is Ben Ohai’s biggest accomplishment: four strong, confident, and independent women who say their environment made them strong.

Ben Ohai Parenting Philosophy: Encouragement Over Pressure

One thing that makes Ben Ohai’s story stand out is how he approaches being a father. In a time when sports parents often act as cautionary tales by projecting their own unmet goals onto their kids, Ben did things in a very different way.

He went to practices and games, but he never put the responsibility of carrying on his athletic legacy on his girls.

Ben Ohai gave support after losses and joy after wins without making people feel proud. He showed Kealia how to be mentally tough in the same way he had learned on the wrestling mat, not by telling her to do it.

Kealia posted a picture of her dad on Instagram on Father’s Day 2018 with the words “I love you Dad.” They are very close. “Thank you for always having faith in me.”

The fact that those words are so simple says everything about what Ben gave: not fame or pressure, but constant, genuine trust.

This stands in notable contrast to the often-complicated father-figure stories we cover here at DDA Blogs. Compare it with the complex legacy explored in our piece on

This stands in notable contrast to many parent-figure stories. Compare it with the complex legacy explored in our piece on Diane Plese or the quiet dignity of Elizabeth Bowes Gregory both illustrating how family dynamics shape identity in surprising ways.

Ben Ohai Polynesian Heritage and Cultural Identity

Ben Ohai’s Hawaiian and Polynesian roots are not just a side note; they are what make him who he is.

Polynesian society has a long history of community strength, oral storytelling, and the idea of “ohana,” which means “family as the central social unit.” The way Ben raised his family shows that he lived by these ideals.

He didn’t name Kealia after a Hawaiian beach out of nostalgia; he did it on purpose. It made sure that the Ohais of the future would always know where they came from, even as they lived far away from the Pacific.

Kealia’s strong sense of who she is has helped her through the ups and downs of professional sports.

Ben brown hair, dark brown eyes, and athletic build, which he has kept up for decades by following strict rules, are all signs of his Polynesian background.

People who have met him say he is calm and sure of himself, and he is friendly without trying to get attention.

Legacy: What Ben Ohai Means Beyond the Family

Ben Ohai’s story is interesting because it challenges a common belief about the parents of top athletes: that fame is the natural goal and that parents either support it or secretly dislike it.

Ben didn’t do either. He made it possible for his girls to pursue their own ideas of success, and then he stood back and let them do it.

His record in wrestling at BYU makes him one of the best college sports of his time. He has been married to Cindy for decades.

In a time that values showiness, their quiet union has been a rock. His girls do well in many areas, from professional sports to business to school. Any way you look at it, Ben Ohai has had an incredibly successful life.

Want to discover more inspiring stories of people behind the famous? Explore our profiles on Leslie Knipfing, Anna Mbatha, and Jeanette Adair Bradshaw all remarkable individuals who shaped greatness from behind the scenes.

FAQs

Who is Ben Ohai?

Ben Ohai is an American who used to wrestle in college and is the dad of soccer star Kealia Ohai Watt. He was born in Hawaii and went to Brigham Young University (BYU), where he had a 116-8 record as a wrestler.

What is Ben Ohai’s wrestling record?

At the end of his college wrestling career at BYU, Ben Ohai had 116 wins and 8 losses. He also won the WAC title and went undefeated in 1974.

Who is Ben Ohai’s famous daughter?

When it comes to fame, his daughter Kealia Ohai Watt plays professional soccer in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). J.J. Watt, a former NFL player, is her husband.

Where was Ben Ohai born?

Ben Ohai was born in Hawaii, USA. He went to California when he was ten years old. Kealia, his daughter, is named after Kealia Beach on Kauai, which is where Ben was born.

Who is Ben Ohai’s wife?

Cindy Ohai is married to Ben Ohai. They have been together for decades after meeting at Brigham Young University. The two of them raised four girls together.

How many children does Ben Ohai have?

There are four girls that Ben Ohai has: Kealia Ohai Watt is a professional soccer player, Megan Cushing is a fitness expert, Cambria Ohai works in marketing, and Aubrey Ohai graduated from NYU.