Name Keo Nakama Role Swimmer | Education Ohio State University | |
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Died September 7, 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | ||
Keo Nakama at the 1945 Men's AAU Nationals
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. He was one of a group taught by Soichi Sakamoto at the Puʻunene School 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.
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.
Nakama was later elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives, where he served for five terms until 1974. He died in Honolulu at the age of 91.