Diane McLean Stowell was voted to Life Membership in the Outrigger Canoe Club at the Annual Meeting on February 24, 2014. Diane joined the Club in 1953 and served on committees and represented the Club in running and swimming races in local, national and international competition. She was the first woman elected to Winged “O”.
Diane served on the Board of Directors for six years, rising to Vice-President of Activities. She served as a member or chair of the Running, Triathlon, Swimming, Admissions & Membership, Nominating and Judges of Election committees.
Her athletic honors read like a who’s who of local running and swimming competition. She won her age group in every event she entered and twice was named the Honolulu Quarterback Club’s Senior Female Athlete of the Year and was named one of the Honolulu Advertisers’ Top Ten Athletes of the Decade in 1990.
Her swimming prowess won her a place in the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame. She won more than 100 national and international swimming titles and held more than 50 state swimming records in varying age groups. She was an All-American swimmer in the masters division many times. She was a regular competitor in the U.S. Masters Swimming Short and Long Course National Championships, as well as the Senior Olympics, most often winning her age group and setting new records. She even competed in the Masters World Championships in Germany in 2000 where she finished second in the 65-69 age division in five events. She competed in swimming events well into her 70s.
Her running success in numerous community competitions won her recognition as Hawaii State Runner of the Year in 1984 and 1986.
Diane also paddled on Outrigger’s senior masters women crew that won six Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association champions.
One of Diane’s strong interests was in making it possible for young athletes to compete at higher levels in college and in national competition. To this end she served on the Board of Directors of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and chaired the scholarship committee.
In 2017 the OCC Swimming Committee dedicated the OCC Invitational Swim in memory of Diane. The Diane Stowell Most Inspirational Swimmer Trophy is awarded each year at the race.
Board of Directors
1987 Coordinating Director Public Relations Committee
1988 Coordinating Director Athletics
1989 Assistant Secretary, Coordinating Director House
1990 Secretary
1991 Secretary
1992 Vice President Activities
Admissions & Membership Committee
2000 Member
2001 Member
2002 Member
Judges of Election Committee
1995 Member
1999 Member
2000 Member
2001 Member
2002 Member
2006 Member
2008 Member
Nominating Committee
1994 Chair
1997 Member
1999 Member
Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation Board of Directors
1992 Member
1993 Member
1994 Secretary
1995 Secretary
1996 Member
1997 Member
2004 Member
2005 Member
2006 member
200 Member
2008 Member
2009 Member
Swimming Committee
2007 Member
2008 Member
2009 Member
2010 Member
2011 Member
2012 Member
2013 Member
2014 Member
2015 Member
Running Committee
1983 Member
1984 Member
1985 Member
1986 Member
1987 Member
Triathlon Committee
1986 Co-Chair
1987 Member
Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championships
1987 Senior Masters Women
1988 Senior Masters Women
1989 Senior Masters Women
1990 Senior Masters Women
1991 Senior Masters Women
1993 Senior Masters Women
1999 Golden Masters Women
Na Wahine O Ke Kai Championships
1990 1st Place Masters Women
1991 1st Place Masters Women
1993 3rd Place Masters Women
1993 2nd Place Masters Women
Walter J. Macfarlane Regatta
1987 1st Place Masters Women 45
1988 1st Place Masters Women 45
1989 1st Place Masters Women 45
1990 1st Place Masters Women 45
1991 1st Place Masters Women 45
1992 1st Place Masters Women 45
1997 1st Place Golden Masters Women
2001 1st Place Women 55
2002 1st Place Mixed Masters 40
Castle Swim
1997 1st Place Women
2000 1st Place Women
OCC Tennis Championships
1981 1st Place Club Doubles with Keanuenue Rochlen
Channel Swimming
1987 Auau Channel
AWARDS
1984 Hawaii State Runner of the Year
1986 Hawaii State Runner of the Year
1988 Honolulu Quarterback Club Senior Female Athlete of the Year
1989 Honolulu Quarterback Club Senior Female Athlete of the Year
1990 Honolulu Advertiser Top Ten Athletes of the Decade
1991 OCC Winged “O”
2003 Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame, Open Water Swimming
2014 OCC Life Membership
2016 ODKF Waterman Hall of Fame