At the height of her singing career, Hale'iwa resident Lehua Nahina's life wasn't much different from the lives of young Hollywood celebs like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.

About six years ago, Nahina, a former member of the Tokyo-based pop group Coconuts Musume, was wildly popular among Japanese men in their 20s and teen girls who chased her around town with their cameras.

"The fans (in Japan) go absolutely crazy," said Nahina, now 25. "Just walking or if I wanted to go shopping, I really stood out."

After several years away from the celebrity life, Nahina is ready for the public stage once again as the newly-crowned Mrs. Hawaii United States. Nahina will compete in the national pageant on July 24 in Las Vegas.

"I'm going to go there and do my best," said Nahina, now a homemaker and college student. "That's all that matters — no matter the outcome, as long as I did my best."

As Nahina heads toward the newest chapter in her life, she reflected on the experience that she said "started it all" for her.

Formerly Lehua Sandbo, Nahina was a very shy child until attending St. Francis School in Manoa, where teachers nurtured her talents and encouraged her to do musical plays, she said.

"I became outgoing in high school and came out of my shell," Nahina recalled. "I really blossomed in an all-girls school."

When she was a junior, she auditioned for Coconuts Musume, the all-girl, three-member pop group Nahina loosely compares to the Spice Girls. She joined the group in November 1999 and by Christmas was on her way to Japan to start working.

For nearly three years, Nahina kept busy modeling, recording, shooting videos and doing concerts — an intense job that often wore out the young singer.

"The last year, it was the hardest for me," she said.

The events of 9/11 were still fresh and Nahina was homesick, tired and extremely depressed.

"Without my faith and without my family, I wouldn't have been able to overcome it," Nahina said.

In 2002, she returned home to Hawai'i.

"I wanted to take a break," Nahina said. "I wanted to go to college, focus on my family and friends, and be normal."

For the past several years, Nahina did just that: She married Kapono Nahina, 28, a professional longboard surfer and a carpenter. They had a daughter, Kaianna, now 4. Nahina enrolled in college and is a nursing student at Hawai'i Pacific University.

After losing 30 pounds, Nahina decided to return to modeling earlier this year. Following the recommendation of an editor at a local pageant-related magazine, which ran one of Nahina's ads, Nahina decided to compete in the Mrs. Hawaii United States Pageant last month.

Nahina said she's ready for the spotlight once again — this time carrying an important message she hopes to share with as many people as possible.

For her pageant platform, Nahina highlights volunteer work she does for her North Shore church, which helps homeless families and individuals — especially mothers and children — by providing food, home essentials and outreach programs.

"It means a lot to me because where I live in Hale'iwa, there are so many displaced people," she said. "I know I can't do it all, but I know I could make a difference."