If you’ve walked by the mirror room at all this school year, you may have noticed something that wasn’t there last year. A plaque hangs up on the wall, honoring the career of former swim coach Yoshi Oyakawa, arguably the greatest and most decorated coach in Oak Hills history.

Early Life

Born in Hawaii, Oyakawa didn’t start swimming for a real team until his freshman year. His 1951 100-meter backstroke time of 1:07.5 in the Hawaiian AAU meet was America’s best that year in a long course pool, and ultimately gained him a spot on the Ohio State swim team. While swimming for Ohio State, Oyakawa won six Big Ten, seven NCAA, and nine NAAU championships. 

Olympian

All of Oyakawa’s achievements led him to the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. He came into the 100-meter breaststroke as the favorite to win, granted he set an Olympic record by swimming a 1:05.7 in the US Olympic Trials earlier in the month. In the Olympic Finals, Oyakawa beat out French team’s silver medalist Gilbert Bozon by 0.8 of a second to win gold. He returned as co-captain to the next Olympic games in 1956, held in Melbourne, Australia. While his performance wasn’t as grand as in the 1952 Olympics, Oyakawa still placed 8th.

Coaching 

After his decorated collegiate and Olympic career, Oyakawa pursued teaching and coaching right here at Oak Hills High School. His 25 year coaching span lasted from 1960 to 1985. In those 25 years, Oyakawa was named League Coach of the Year 23 times, SW Ohio Coach of the Year twelve times, and DI Ohio Coach of the Year in 1972. His impact was tremendous, even coaching six state champions and two future Olympians. 

Legacy Solidified

Everywhere Oyakawa has been, he’s left an impact. Over the years, countless organizations have inducted him into their Hall of Fame. Those include the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1973, The Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978, Hawaiʻi Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, and most recently, Oak Hills Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

The plaque you see in the mirror room was dedicated to Oyakawa by his former athletes to celebrate the accomplishments of their coach. Oyakawa’s career isn’t yet over. The 92 year old still enjoys competitive swimming for US Masters Swimming. In an interview with Local 12 News, Oyakawa was asked about the secret to a long life,  and in response he smiled and said, “Stay chlorinated.”