Savannah Carson

fox on the run

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.

John F. Kennedy

[Jon Finkel📚💪 @Jon_Finkel]

Let me tell you about one of the greatest athletes and men you've likely never heard of:

Imagine a man who:

• was a 4x Olympian
• served 13-terms as a Sheriff
• has 3 statues on 3 different beaches
• rescued 8 men from drowning in a storm
• was the 1st person inducted into 2 Halls of Fame

This is the 78-Year Legend of Duke Kahanamoku:

1895: Duke doesn't remember if he learned to swim or walk first as a kid... But he knows he never took a lesson: "My father and my uncle just threw me into the water from an outrigger canoe. I had to swim or else."... The boy was a speedboat Nobody could catch him....

Young Duke never left the water. Long ocean swims. Surfing. Canoeing. The kid lived in the ocean and his body evolved accordingly... By his late teens he was 6'1". Had long, strong legs. And giant sized 13 feet... His hands were paddles...

It's 1911. Duke is now 21. He's been demolishing his fellow islanders for years with his "flutter kick". Decides to enter an official swim meet Chooses the 100-meter dash. He wins. But that's not the story The story is he shattered the world record by 4.6 seconds...

1912. Duke qualifies for and competes in the Stockholm Olympics. He sets another world record and wins gold in 100m. Also takes silver in the 4x200 relay The 1916 Olympics are cancelled due to WWI. No matter. 1920 Olympics: Gold 100m freestyle. Gold, 4x200 free relay..

Between his stints as an Olympic champion, Duke travels the world demonstrating his other favorite hobby: Surfing He is credited with introducing the sport to Southern California in 1912 and Australia in 1914 He made his own boards, often 16 feet long and extremely heavy...

By the 1924 Olympics, he's appeared in movies & is world famous. He's also 34. An old man in the pool. Rising Olympic/Hollywood star Johnny Weissmuller is favored in the 100m. Duke duels him hard but finishes with silver After, he says, "It took Tarzan to beat me."...

1925. Duke is living in Newport Beach, California. A ship can't get in the harbor because of heavy surf It capsizes. Men go overboard. The waves pound them under water. Duke grabs his board & paddles out. He rescues one man. Then 2. Then 3. Ultimately saves 8 men solo...

There are dozens of witnesses to Duke's efforts. They can't believe his courage and stamina and bravery. The police chief says afterwards that it was: "The most superhuman surfboard rescue act the world has ever seen." Soon surfboards become standard lifeguard gear...

By the 1930s, Duke is an entrepreneur, an actor (even appearing opposite the other Duke, John Wayne) and a swimming and surfing icon.... Oh, and at age 42... He competes in his 4th Olympics... This time for the US Water Polo team at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles...

"I guess you begin to slow down a little around 40," Duke says of his water polo performance. And yet, he's still one of the best swimmers and surfers in the world. But he longs for Hawaii. For his home.. He wants to be of service...

In 1932 he moves back to Hawaii. He's elected to his first term as the Sheriff of Honolulu. He loves it. Ends up serving 13 consecutive terms and becomes the unofficial ambassador of Hawaii... He swims and surfs daily Continues to be the ultimate Waterman...

Duke Kahanamoku is the 1st inductee into the Swimming & Surfing Halls of Fame

There are statues of him in New Zealand, Huntington Beach and Hawaii

If you enjoyed this, please share it & follow me @Jon_Finkel for more stories on fascinating people.

And PS:

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

one person unfollowed me // automatically checked by https://t.co/Rvgd5CFc3V

[Traces of Texas @TracesofTexas]

The entire state of Texas as photographed by NASA from space, 2018. This is a fascinating image to look at if you're at all familiar with Texas geography. Not only can you see all of the major cities but even towns like Temple-Killeen, Midland-Odessa ... even small towns like Monahans, Alpine, Marfa etc.. The Eagle Ford can also clearly be seen. But what blows me away is the lights in the area around Pecos. Those lights aren't quite as intense as they are in Midland-Odessa (immediately to the east of Pecos) but the area is at least as big, perhaps bigger. Amazing. Fortunately, with the exception of Presidio, the Big Bend remains dark. May it ever be so!

[Barstool Texas A&M @BarstoolTexasAM]

lol

[Lewis Pugh Foundation @LewisPughFDN]

Just because it seems normal, doesn't mean it is. 'Shifting baseline syndrome' describes the gradual acceptance of degraded environmental conditions as the new normal.

📸: Cameron Shepherd

[Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation @OKWildlifeDept]

stranger: is this snake poisonous?

us: nah fam,

stranger: *picks up snake, gets bitten, starts foaming at the mouth*

us: it’s venomous tho

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

one person unfollowed me // automatically checked by https://t.co/Rvgd5CFc3V

[Texas A&M University @TAMU]

The Texas flag is 184 years old today!

This "Lone Star" is one of the eight Texas flags displayed by Aggies in the famous Muster photograph taken at Corregidor in 1946. The flag now resides at Cushing Memorial Library.

@TXAMFoundation: https://t.co/9cllyhKUYY

[Ryan Holiday @RyanHoliday]

“You should keep learning…to the end of your life.” — Seneca

[Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter]

Doctors said after Damar Hamlin awakened last night, he asked in writing who won the game. Doctors told him: “Yes, you won. You’ve won the game of life.”

[Scott Stallings @stallingsgolf]

Literally had been checking the mailbox five times a day and then I got this random DM yesterday 🫠

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

what a legend.

[SportsCenter @SportsCenter]

There will never be another one quite like Mike Leach.

A true college football original.

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

@IRONMANtri Lubbock 70.3 which is now dead thanks to you!

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

#GoNavyBeatArmy

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

26 🤍🤍🤍 #GigEm

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

the ONE TIME I DONT GO TO A GAME and its going to be like this. #gigemalways

[Texas A&M University @TAMU]

Today's flyover was performed by F-15C Eagles from 159th Fighter Wing.

Among the pilots is Fightin' Texas Aggie, Colonel David Anderson '01!

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

just scheduled the rest of my OB appointments 😵‍💫wild stuff

[Savannah Carson @SavvyCarson]

mood

[Shel Winkley @shelwinkleywx]

GameDay in #Aggieland...

[Amazing Maps @amazingmap]

A map of the world made from timezones