Athletes from Hawaii shared their skills and the spirit of aloha in the Olympics
Dating back to 1912, athletes representing Hawaii have shown their love for the waters while sharing the spirit of aloha in the Olympics. From Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii’s first gold medalist, to Carissa Moore, the first surfing gold medalist, their achievements and legacy continue to inspire Hawaiian athletes.
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku, a three-time Olympic gold medalist representing the United States, is a native of Hawaii and of royal blood, according to Britannica website. His first Olympic victory was in 1912 in Stockholm where he won the 100-meter freestyle. He stood over 6 feet tall and was one of Waikiki’s “beach boys”, according to the Team USA website.
After winning at his first Olympics, Kahanamoku ended up sharing his favorite sport with the world – surfing, the website says. “If it weren’t for Duke, I don’t think surfing would have gotten out of Hawaii,” said Sonny Tanabe, a 1956 Olympic silver medalist. “He went out to various countries and the United States and promoted and popularized surfing. But he got to do it because of swimming,” said Tanabe.
“Kahanamoku’s legacy goes beyond swimming and surfing,” according to the Team USA website. “He was a sweet, humble champion who shared his culture and the spirit of Aloha wherever he went,” it says.
Mariechen Wehselau
Mariechen Wehselau was Hawaii’s first female Olympic gold medalist as a swimming anchor on the 4x100-meter freestyle relay team at the 1924 Paris Olympics. With Wehselau as the last swimmer, the U.S. women finished the race at 4:58.8 minutes, setting a new world and Olympic record, according to the Olympedia website.
Setting a world record of 1:12.2 in winning the first heat of the 100-meter freestyle, Wehselau became known as the first great woman swimmer from the island paradise, according to the Olympics website. “After the Games, she returned to Hawai’i and became a swim coach for several years.”
Thelma Kalama
As the second woman to represent Hawaii, Thelma Kalama won another gold medal for 400m freestyle team relay at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, England. According to the Olympedia website, Kalama won three Amateur Athletic Union titles and set one American record for the 400m freestyle. She then later joined the Marines and eventually became a sergeant.
In 1998, she was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2002 as a posthumous member of its first class of honorees in the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame, according to the Honolulu Advertiser.
Carissa Moore
Making its debut in the Olympics, the surfing sport had its first-ever gold medalist, Carissa Moore, in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. According to the Team U.S.A. website, Moore began learning how to surf from her dad on the shores of Waikiki Beach. She is also a five-time world champion on the World Surf League's (WSL) Women’s World Tour, with an average heat score of 8.53, according to the WSL website.
“I felt really, really content, really satisfied with everything I achieved,” she said in her interview with the New York Times. Moore said she now wants to switch gears and start a family with her husband. “I’m human – I don’t have everything figured out,” she expressed. “I’m flowing and feeling and learning as I go. I’m following my heart. And the unknown is scary. But I’m also excited,” she said.