Dr. Kimo graduated from St. Joseph High School and earned his doctorate in psychological, educational, and cultural studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

 

Born in Hilo, Dr. Kimo grew up on a ranch in the hills of Waiākea Uka. He worked alongside his siblings, making ends meet with his parent’s plumbing business, and helped on the family ranch. This work ethic translated easily to other areas as Dr. Kimo gained many athletic and academic accolades and quickly became a state and county government leader. 

 

"I was supposed to be a boxer until I got hit by a car while riding my bike,” Dr. Kimo said.  “I cracked my skull wide open, leaving me with a plate in my head.” The accident changed the course of Dr. Kimo’s future sports participation as medical advice warned him not to engage in any contact sports, which meant that boxing and football were out of the question.

 

“I turned to my cousins, the Azevedo family who lived down the street, and they introduced me to the sports of baseball and basketball, which I grew to love,” Dr. Kimo said.

 

Not only did Dr. Kimo discover a passion for team sports, but he also went on to letter all four years in high school in volleyball, basketball, baseball, and track.

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“Sports run in my family as my mother was a swimmer and my grandpa was a baseball fanatic,” he said.  “My father was a basketball star who grew to love the sport of boxing, which is where I was supposed to be before my accident.”

 

Dr. Kimo had a stellar career in sports at St. Joseph during his freshman and senior year and had equal success when he attended Lahainaluna on Maui during his sophomore and junior years.