By Department of Parks and Recreation, City & County of Honolulu
Family, swimming advocates, and community leaders gathered at Pearl City District Park yesterday evening to show their respects for legendary swim coach Ken Suenaga as the park’s pool was officially renamed in his honor. Following remarks from Coach Suenaga, his daughter & granddaughter, Councilmember Val Okimoto, State Senator Brandon Elefante, and Honolulu Parks and Recreation Director Laura H. Thielen, new signage and a memorial plaque (donated Suenaga’s family) were blessed by Kahu Kordell Kekoa and the dozens of family, friends, and park staff who attended. .
“My Dad always used to say “trust the process!”, which is exactly what we did to get to this point,” said Alyce Hong, Ken Suenaga’s daughter. “He was always so determined, and expected the same from his swimmers. For them to swim with their hearts, keep kicking, and to not overthink and just race. We hope these lessons resonate through to many more generations of swimmers, as his name lives on here in Pearl City.”
“The community thanks Coach Suenaga for his mentorship and advocacy, his service to our county while serving in the Army, and his significant contributions not only to our community but also to the city,” said Councilmember Val Okimoto, who represents the area and introduced City Council Resolution 25-205 officially renaming the pool in Coach Suenaga’s honor.
A Farrington High School graduate, Coach Suenaga served as a combat medic during the Korean War before diving into his aquatics career with the Palama Swim Club in 1967. A year later, from Kalihi to Pearl City, Coach Suenaga established Pearl City Aquatics, Inc., serving as the organization’s only coach until it grew into five coaches and over 100 swimmers within a decade. The goal of this club was to provide recreational opportunities for young people, and encourage them to stay out of trouble and maintain healthy lifestyles.
He continued his consistent laps towards this mission by founding Pearl City High School’s swim team in 1972, leading the program and his haumana (students) to several titles and individuals awards. This included the late U.S. Representative K. Mark Takai, who was a four-time high school swimming State champion under Coach Suenaga. He would later advocate for the development of the K. Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center, a world-class aquatic center in the Patsy T. Mink Central O’ahu Regional Park, which opened in 2003.
Coach Suenaga also helped establish and coach for the annual Western Zone Swimming Championship, coordinate the Team Hawai‘i All-Star Swimming Team, and served in several key positions within the Hawaiian Local Swim Committee of U.S.A. Swimming.
With a legacy of establishing competitive swimming in Pearl City, Coach Suenaga was inducted into the Hawai‘i Swimming Hall of Fame in November 2012, further recognizing his 59-year legacy of mentorship and advocacy.
Photos courtesy of Department of Parks and Recreation, City & County of Honolulu and Ken Suenaga Ohana.
