Costas Theocharidis, one of the greatest men’s volleyball players to ever wear a University of Hawaiʻi uniform, has just released his first book, which chronicles his life before, during and after his time at UH Mānoa.
Theocharidis, originally from Greece, was a dominant outside hitter for the Rainbow Warriors from 2000 to 2003. “Greece Lightning,” as he was affectionately called by fans, had one of the most decorated careers in NCAA college sports history, breaking countless records and earning nearly every athletic and academic award possible. He became the NCAA Division I all-time leader in kills (rally scoring era), the first-ever four-time first-team All-American in U.S. college men’s volleyball history and the first-ever Academic All-American of the Year for UH in U.S. college sports.
Upon completion of his eligibility, an athlete on a rival college team filed an official complaint with the NCAA, questioning Theocharidis’s eligibility. This rocked the community in Hawaiʻi and the volleyball world and had international coverage. The NCAA made the controversial decision to strip the UH men’s volleyball program of its 2002 championship, the first-ever men’s national title for UH athletics, and Theocharidis found himself descending into a deep depression.
“I dedicated my whole life to volleyball—it took years of commitment, sacrifice, and hard work to achieve those accomplishments and establish my legacy. With that controversy, everything seemed to disintegrate overnight,” Theocharidis said.
After a highly decorated career that ended ignominiously, Theocharidis retired from volleyball and entered the professional world of finance. During his 20-year career in finance, he worked for some of the top global firms and advised Fortune 500 clients. After retiring from the corporate world to pursue real estate entrepreneurship, he felt a calling to re-engage with the men’s volleyball program. This started a process of catharsis.
- Related UH News story: ‘Greece Lightning’ returns after 20 years amidst UH volleyball’s quest for 3-peat, April 18, 2023
His new book, Costas: Warrior for Life, is a story of love, pain, struggle and redemption. As a father, Theocharidis wanted to document for his three daughters an account of his journey from a small town in a remote, rural part of Greece to living, working, competing in athletics, and studying in some of the most amazing cities in the world: Honolulu, London, Athens, Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston.
He hopes that this book will also prove valuable to adults, young leaders, athletes, and others and inspire them to pursue their dreams, challenge and elevate themselves beyond the edge of their current abilities, and inspire others to rise along with them.
Costas: Warrior for Life was released on April 10 and is available for purchase on Amazon.
—By Marc Arakaki
