Keo Nakama
 Keo Nakama in 1942 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Keo Nakama | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 21, 1920 Puʻunene, Hawaii | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | September 8, 2011 (aged 91) Honolulu, Hawaii | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Ohio State University | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Keo Nakama (May 21, 1920 – September 8, 2011) was an American swimmer.
Nakama was born in the town of Puʻunene, Hawaii, on the island of Maui.[1] He was one of a group taught by Soichi Sakamoto at the Puʻunene School[2] His swimming career included a world record 20:29 in the mile swim, Big Ten Conference titles at Ohio State, and numerous national and international victories. The outbreak of World War II prevented his competing in an Olympic Games: Nakama was at his peak from 1940 to 1944. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1975.[1][3]
Nakama is best known for swimming from the island of Molokai to Oahu in Hawaii, at 40 years of age. In September 1961, he crossed the dangerous 27-mile Ka Iwi Channel in 15 ½ hours; he was the first person to verifiably accomplish this feat.[2]
Nakama was later elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives, where he served for five terms until 1974.[4] He died in Honolulu at the age of 91.[1]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Loomis, Ilima (September 8, 2011), "'Pioneer in swimming' Nakama dies at 91: Maui native overcame adversity to set records", The Maui News
- ^ a b Checkoway, Julie (October 27, 2015). The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui's Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-1455523443.
- ^ "KEO NAKAMA (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ "Flags at half-staff in honor of Nakama", Hawaii 24/7, September 30, 2011
External links[edit]
- Honolulu Star-Bulletin: "They don't make them like Keo no more"
- Honolulu Advertiser: "Nakama ruled in the pool, shined on the baseball diamond"
- http://www.swimnews.com/news/view/8901
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- 1920 births
- 2011 deaths
- American athlete-politicians
- American male swimmers
- Hawaii politicians of Japanese descent
- Members of the Hawaii House of Representatives
- Ohio State Buckeyes baseball players
- American sportspeople of Japanese descent
- Swimmers from Hawaii
- American swimming biography stubs
- Hawaii politician stubs