HONOLULU (KHON2) — Kailua resident Carolyn Katayama has been honored at the U.S. Open in New York with the Champions of Equality Award from the United States Tennis Association.
Katayama has been a leader in Hawaiʻi tennis for decades. She won the Hawaiʻi High School Singles Championship in 1971 and played for the University of Hawaiʻi from 1975 to 1978.
After college, she became the head women’s coach at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, taking the team to the national tournament three times.
She later became the head women’s coach at the University of Hawaiʻi from 1999 to 2005, before coaching at Punahou School and Mid-Pacific Institute.
The Champions of Equality Award recognizes people who have worked to make tennis welcoming and fair for everyone.
At the U.S. Open ceremony, Katayama was honored alongside well-known names like filmmaker Ava DuVernay, tennis legend Billie Jean King, and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.
Check out more news from around Hawaii
Katayama is known for helping grow women’s tennis in Hawaiʻi and inspiring athletes at every level.