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Irrigation Ditch to Olympic Gold
Constant Wonder
Irrigation Ditch to Olympic Gold
Episode: Irrigation Ditch to Olympic Gold
- May 17, 2021 6:00 pm
- 44:00 mins
In Maui in 1937 a Japanese-American school teacher, unable to swim himself, challenged his impoverished students to join the Three-Year Swim Club and train for Olympic gold. The unlikely group started training in an irrigation ditch by their school and faced near impossible challenges, including the games’ cancellation in 1940 because of WWII. In 1948, Coach Sakamoto and his swimmers will have one more shot at Olympic glory. Author Julie Checkoway tells the story of The Three-Year Swim Club. Guest: Julie Checkoway, author of: "The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory."