Dolores Tuimoloau

Dolores Tuimoloau (born May 29, 1976 – February 19, 2011)^[1] was an American Samoan athlete, primarily known for throwing events. She represented American Samoa at the 1995 Pacific Ocean Games, earning a silver medal in the shot put, the only such medal for her country.^[2]

Tuimoloau grew up in Oxnard, California. Since the age of 9, she excelled in basketball because she was always the largest in her class, a trend that brought her to the height of 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 310 pounds by the age of 18. She eventually played for Channel Islands High School where she was All-County in basketball. Looking for a sport to play in the springtime, she thought she would play softball but a friend invited her to try out for the track team. The first time she threw a shot put, it went 11.89 m (39 ft 0 in). She continued to improve, by her senior year she set the Ventura County record in both the shot put at 14.99 m (49 ft 2 in) and the discus at 44.20 m (145 ft 0 in).^[3] She won the 1994 CIF California State Meet in the shot put, beating her nearest competitor by almost two feet.^[4] A week later, she won the Golden West Invitational.^[5] She was touted as a potential Olympian while she attended Ventura College, but became academically ineligible while taking care of her father who suffered a massive heart attack at age 40.^[6] Returning to school, she set the still standing school records in both shot put and discus in 1996.^[7] She continued her education in Criminal Justice at California State University, Los Angeles. She eventually settled in Eureka, California.

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