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Anona Napoleon paddles over the rainbow
By Alyssa Navares
Sixty-three-year-old Anona Napoleon can still recall her first canoe paddling race at Kailua in 1956. “I remember there being a lot of physical pain,” she said. “But it goes back to the saying: ‘no pain no gain.’ All sports must have some element of pain.”
With over 25 years of paddling experience at the Waikiki Surf Club, Anona not only fell in love with the sport but also with Joseph “Nappy” Napoleon, her husband of 40 years.
However, it was Joseph’s late cousin Dutchy Kino who taught Anona how to paddle. “Dutchy taught me something even my parents never told me: to believe in myself. If someone tells you that it’s impossible, prove them wrong,” said Anona, who has learned to apply discipline from paddling to her life. “As long as you work hard, you can do anything.”
Anona and her fellow Waikiki Surf Club teammates would excel in all their races, placing first every time. Eventually, races grew from competing against other clubs to competing against themselves as they aimed to better their times from previous races.
“It takes all six to move the canoe. If everyone works together, paddling is effortless,” said Anona.
Born in Kaimuki, Anona also paddled for the Kailua Canoe Club, in which she placed first in the Na Wahine O Ke Kai Masters division.
She has traveled to over nine different places for paddling, including "She has traveled to over nine different places for paddling, including Australia, Fiji, Bora Bora Island, Catalina, Tahiti, Rarotonga, and Samoa.. She even raced dragon boats in Japan and represented Hawai‘i in the 1990 International World Sprints (canoe) in New Zealand.
“I liked paddling in the Moloka‘i to O‘ahu race the best because in long distance races, no element is ever the same,” she said.
Even after being blessed with five sons, Anona and Joseph still hoped to have a daughter whom they would one day name Anuenue. In 1983, Anuenue was born, not as a child but rather as a canoe club that would bring enlightenment to local paddlers for over 20 years. Today Anuenue has over 200 members, including disadvantaged children and the handicapped.
Anona was able to perfect her techniques of steering and “came into [her] own” as a member of Anuenue. “Steering is never boring. When I see the swell, I’ll go for the swell,” said Anona.
Her natural water instincts and love for the ocean has encouraged Anona to not only try new water sports but to excel in them as well. She represented the United States in the 1960 and 1964 summer Olympic time trials as a member of the kayaking team.
“She was one of the first to kayak in Hawai‘i,” said childhood friend Paul Gay.
Surfing has also been a favorite pastime of Anona’s for the over 50 years. After the 1960 Olympic trials, she had an accident at Waimea Falls that left her nearly paralyzed. However, the following year she went on to win the International Surfing Championships at Makaha. She believes her mother’s Hawaiian medicine helped to quicken her recovery. Recently, Anona and nine others were recognized as being champion surfers in a video documentary entitled “Surfing For Life.”
In addition to mastering the art of canoe paddling, Anona received her Ph.D. at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa in curriculum studies, specifically Ho‘oponopono: the Art of Peacemaking. She also has over 20 years of teaching experience with her masters degree in religious education. Currently, Anona gives lectures to culturally-sensitive organizations including Alu Like and to students at UH Manoa.
“You always need one smart in the family, and she’s [Anona] the smart!” teased her husband. “I’m proud of her. She loves that kind of work.”
