KEALAKEKUA — Tori Oshiro remembers being back in third grade, lying in her bed with an important decision to make — to swim, or not to swim?
She weighed the pros and cons of both, including a lack of enthusiasm for wearing a one-piece and having to give up her blossoming career as a cheerleader.
After some internal debate, Oshiro eventually picked the pool. Fast-forward to her senior year at Konawaena, and it turned out to be the best choice she could have made. Oshiro’s one-piece has now become one of her favorite outfits and she has found a second home in the swim lane.
It’s also taking her places.
Oshiro parlayed her talent in the pool and an equally impressive career in the classroom to lock up a spot on the Pacific Lutheran University swim team in Washington. She made it official by signing her letter of intent this week in an emotional ceremony at Konawaena’s pool.
“I’m really happy. I didn’t think this was ever going to happen. I’ve never been the fastest or stood out from the pack,” Oshiro said. “For this to happen is such a dream.”
Oshiro will attend the NCAA D-III school on academic scholarships and will be part of the freshmen crop for the swim squad, which has been one of the top teams in the Northwest Conference this year.
“My coaches all told me that I had to experience swimming in college,” Oshiro said. “I knew I wanted to go to school on the mainland, but not too far. When I visited the campus, I knew it was the perfect fit. It’s laid back and pretty chill there.”
Oshiro’s forte in the pool is breaststroke and distance races. In the classroom, she plans to major in nursing, which is one of the main reasons the she picked the Lutes.
“They have an amazing nursing program, and that’s what I want to go into,” Oshiro said. “Swimming was really the cherry on top.”
Oshiro — or Terrific Tori as she was referred to by her former coaches and mentors that spoke at the ceremony — has been a standout for Kona Aquatics. She has also been a fixture at the front of the pack during the Triple Crown of open water swims on the Big Island, which includes the Cinco de Mayo Splash, the Hapuna Roughwater Swim and the King’s Swim. She won the award for the lowest cumulative time in the three events back in 2015.
Oshiro said what she will miss most is the camaraderie she has built over the years with her teammates, and using swimming to build a bridge between islands.
“Meeting people at the state meets has probably been my favorite thing,” Oshiro said. “We get to watch super fast swimmers break records, and spending time with my teammates for four days is so much fun.”
Luckily, Hawaii won’t ever feel to far from home.
“I’ve looked into it and there’s a Hawaii club,” Oshiro said. “That will hopefully make it feel a little like home.”
