Jamila Lunkuse will be Athlete Role Model at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal; first Olympic event ever on African soil.

Athlete Role Model Jamila Lunkuse: “Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games is a full circle moment”

From competing at London 2012 as a 15-year-old to mentoring young athletes at Dakar 2026, the Ugandan swimmer reflects on her Olympic journey and the power of representation.

For most of her swimming career, Jamila Lunkuse always felt she had something more to prove whenever she dived into the pool.

A two-time Olympian, the Ugandan was just 15 when she represented her country at the London 2012 Olympic Games, living the dream. At the time, however, she did not fully grasp the magnitude of the moment.

“I don’t think I knew the significance of it, but I remember back at my school, Plymouth College, there were many other big swimmers. The likes of Rūta Meilutytė were there, and Tom Daley , who was a diver,” she tells Olympics.com from her home in Kampala.

“So there were different individuals who were also working towards the Olympics and trying to qualify. For me, it kind of felt more like, ‘Oh, cool. We get to do this experience together.’”

Now retired, Lunkuse will return to the Olympic spotlight at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as an Athlete Role Model when Senegal hosts the first Olympic sporting event ever on African soil from 31 October to 13 November.

“I feel like it’s a full-circle moment. As a continent, Africa has been performing at an elite level in sport and doing really well for so many years. Even in less common sports, such as swimming, we had athletes like the Dunford brothers from Kenya, Kirsty Coventry and Oussama Mellouli .

“But I didn’t really have any swimming role models [in Uganda]. I looked up to our track and field athletes because they were people I could see myself in. They looked like me.”

Now, she is thrilled to have been selected as one of the Olympians from across a range of sports who will mentor young athletes in Dakar and offer guidance as they embark on their Olympic journeys.

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Advice to young athletes: ‘Give yourself grace’

If she could speak to the 15-year-old swimmer who competed in the women’s 50m freestyle at London 2012, Lunkuse knows exactly what advice she would offer herself.

“Give yourself grace. That’s it. It took me two years to adjust to balancing training and school.

“Also, speak to your coaches and the people around you. Having that support system is key because, whatever you’re struggling with, whether it’s sleep or something else, there are people who can help.

“I realised the mental side of competitive swimming is so important, yet it wasn’t discussed nearly as much back then.”

The Athlete Role Model Programme, a cornerstone of the Youth Olympic Games, aims to foster a sense of community and shared purpose among participants. Around 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under are expected to compete across the three competition hubs of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’m sure they’ll be excited. But it goes back to remembering why you’re there. For some athletes, success may not mean winning a medal, taking gold or breaking a junior record.

“It might simply mean diving into the pool, finishing your race, representing your country and giving your absolute best. Take it all in. Make the most of every moment, including all the activities in the Games Village.”

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Lunkuse’s brave start in swimming

When she was 13, Lunkuse qualified for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and was the youngest athlete on the Ugandan team. Yet the moment never overwhelmed her.

“I remember being in the call room and looking at the other swimmers. They were all so much bigger, with muscles and everything, and you’re just there with your goggles thinking, ‘OK, remember what coach always said. Go and do your best. Don’t focus on anyone else. Just focus on you.’”

Moving to England to further her swimming career completely changed the way she approached the sport, which she took up in primary school.

“In Uganda, swimming was much more about the social aspect. It was something you did with your friends, and at school it was just an extracurricular activity. So, when I moved to the UK, it was a huge shift in terms of mindset,” recalls the 29-year-old.

“I became much more intentional about how I approached the sport and tried to make every session count.”

Yet no amount of training could prepare the Ugandan multiple record holder for the scale of the Olympic Games.

“The first Olympics was an insane experience, a really surreal experience. It was at the Opening Ceremony that I realised, ‘Oh wow, this is a huge thing. There are these many people? The Olympics are this big?’”

Olympic gold medallist Ruta Meilutyte, Olympic bronze medallist diver Tom Daley, Olympic swimmer Jamila Lunkuse and Olympic swimmer Jade Howard pose for a photograph on the first day back at college after the London 2012 Olympic Games on September 19, 2012 in Plymouth, England. All four athletes were pupils at Plymouth College.

‘Sport can give you so much more than just medals’

Today, she is grateful for the memories and fulfilment that came from competing at London 2012 and then again four years later at Rio 2016.

“ I wasn’t one of those Olympic medallists, world champions or world record holders, but that doesn’t mean your journey doesn’t matter. Sport can give you so much more than just medals. That’s why it’s really important to have different representation among the Athlete Role Models.”

Lunkuse understands the importance of seeing role models at the highest level and is determined to help young athletes settle into the Games environment so they can continue thriving long after Dakar 2026.

“I really love how swimming has grown and become much more diverse. Athletes are performing at such a high level now. For African youth, having a high-profile event on the continent and being able to attend it gives you motivation.

“There’s a famous quote from an athlete [Mark Spitz]: ‘If you have a lane, you have a chance.’

“That’s what I’d like to remind them. They’ve been given an opportunity, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Jamila Lunkuse (UGA) of Uganda competes at Rio 2016.

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Jamila LUNKUSE UGA · Swimming Swimming Uganda

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