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From the Pool to Purpose: Jamila Lunkuse and the Spirit of Athlete Role Models at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

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When the world gathers for the Youth Olympic Games, it is not just about medals, podiums, or records; it is about stories; stories of beginnings, of resilience, and of dreams still in motion. 

At the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, those stories will be guided, shaped, and inspired by a special group: Athlete Role Models. Among the 31 selected for this global stage is Uganda’s own Jamila Lunkuse, a name that carries both experience and purpose.

The Youth Olympic Games have, since the Singapore 2010 Games, embraced a unique philosophy—developing athletes beyond competition. The Athlete Role Model programme sits at the heart of that vision. These are not just decorated athletes; they are mentors, listeners, and living proof that the journey matters as much as the destination.

At Dakar 2026, over 2,700 young athletes aged 17 and under will gather across Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly. Representing 25 competitive sports and 10 engagement sports, each discipline will have at least one role model present, not to instruct from a distance, but to walk alongside the athletes.

They will attend training sessions, lead workshops on topics like mental preparation, injury prevention, and career development, and perhaps most importantly, offer something intangible yet powerful: reassurance. The quiet reminder that “you are not alone in this.”

For Lunkuse, being selected is more than an Honor—it is a full-circle moment.

She reflects on her own early days, recalling the nerves of her first major competition in Zimbabwe. The unfamiliarity of long-course racing, the overwhelming emotions, and that lingering feeling that the race would never end. It’s a memory many young athletes at Dakar will recognize instantly.

“I’m not going in with all the answers,” she says. “I’m just going in with my story.” And that’s exactly what makes her presence powerful.

Her approach is simple but profound: show up, be present, and connect. In a world that often celebrates perfection, Lunkuse leans into authenticity. She understands that sometimes, what a young athlete needs most is not technical advice but someone who has felt what they are feeling.

Lunkuse’s message to young athletes stretches far beyond swimming lanes. She speaks about patience, how it took her nearly two years to adjust to life at boarding school in the UK, balancing academics and elite training. She emphasises discipline and time management, shaped by strict schedules and demanding routines. But she also highlights something often overlooked: grace “Balance is possible,” she says, “but it takes time, patience, and being kind to yourself.”

Her philosophy on success is equally refreshing. Not every athlete will become an Olympic champion, and that’s okay. Lunkuse herself points out that her journey didn’t peak with global medals, yet sport opened doors she never imagined: leadership roles, global committees, and the chance to inspire others.

To her, being an athlete is not defined by ranking, but by commitment; the early mornings, the sacrifices, and the relentless pursuit of growth.

One of the key areas Lunkuse is passionate about is mental preparation. For her, success wasn’t about last-minute changes or dramatic shifts on race day. It was about routine, structure, and trust.

By rehearsing race scenarios in training and relying on well-established systems, she learned to stay calm under pressure. Even when things didn’t go as planned, like moments at the 2012 Summer Olympics, she relied on perspective and support systems to move forward.

This is the knowledge she hopes to pass on: that mental strength is built long before the starting whistle.

With Dakar 2026 marking the first Youth Olympic Games held on African soil, the significance runs deep. Lunkuse sees this as a defining moment, not just for Senegal, but for the entire continent.

She points to African excellence across sports, from swimming icons like Kirsty Coventry and Chad le Clos to dominance in athletics. But beyond achievements, she stresses the importance of representation.

“When young people see athletes who look like them on the world stage, it changes everything.” 

And in Dakar, that visibility will be stronger than ever. Lunkuse’s vision for her role is not measured in numbers or accolades. It is deeply personal. If even one athlete leaves Dakar feeling inspired, validated, or more confident in their journey, regardless of where they finish, she considers that success.

Her goal is simple: to give back everything she has learned, and to remind young athletes that their journey, in all its ups and downs, truly matters.

Who is Jamila Lunkuse?

Jamila Lunkuse is a Ugandan swimmer born in 1997 and a two-time Olympian, having represented Uganda at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. She competed internationally from a young age, winning medals at regional African competitions and setting national records.

Educated at Plymouth College and the University of Brighton, Lunkuse has transitioned from elite competition into sports leadership. She serves on the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee and has been actively involved in youth development through programs like Discover Water in Uganda.

Now an Athlete Role Model for Dakar 2026, she continues her journey, not just as a swimmer, but as a mentor, shaping the future of sport.

The post From the Pool to Purpose: Jamila Lunkuse and the Spirit of Athlete Role Models at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games appeared first on Kawowo Sports.

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Dolphins’ Fast & Furious Gala 2026 set to ignite Kampala Parents School

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The pool at Kampala Parents School in Naguru is set for a weekend of speed, excitement and fierce competition as the Dolphins Fast & Furious Swimming Gala 2026 brings together some of Uganda’s finest young swimmers.

The highly anticipated gala has attracted 600 swimmers from 37 clubs, promising a competitive weekend as athletes battle for personal bests, medals, records and the coveted title of the fastest swimmer in their respective age groups.

The swimmers will compete across the four major strokes: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly, with younger swimmers taking part in 25-metre races, while the older age groups will compete over 50 metres. The gala will also feature Individual Medley (IM) events across all age groups, adding another test of versatility and endurance.

For Dolphins Swim Club Kampala coach Tony Kasujja, the name Fast & Furious perfectly captures what spectators should expect. 

“Fast & Furious is an event where everything is so fast. It is an explosive event, very exciting, with a lot of speed and a lot of water all over the place,” Kasujja said.

After weeks of intensive preparation, Kasujja believes the swimmers are ready to deliver a memorable competition, with the club targeting a major haul of new Dolphins Fast & Furious records. 

“Last year we had about 10 records broken, but this time we expect all 50 records to be broken,” he said.

Beyond medals, the gala has been designed to reward speed and excellence. The fastest swimmer in each age group will receive medals and rewards, while swimmers who break Dolphins Fast & Furious records will walk away with prizes, alongside gift hampers and other prizes.

Kasujja is also confident of a strong turnout, particularly because the gala comes towards the end of the major swimming calendar, allowing many athletes to compete while in good form. 

“We expect a very big turnout. Many athletes are fit, and they are going to perform really well, so just look forward to the event,” he added.

The excitement is equally high among the Dolphins swimmers, many of whom are targeting personal bests and medals. Babirye Jehan is particularly looking forward to the 50m backstroke and freestyle, intending to cut her times and potentially break some of the existing records.

Rutendo is equally determined to turn weeks of hard training into her personal best performances, with breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly and backstroke featuring prominently among her favourite events.

For Moses, the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle are among the races to watch. He expects intense competition in the freestyle, where several swimmers have closely matched times, while he is targeting a significant improvement in the 50m butterfly.

“I haven’t swum it in quite a while, so my expectation is to cut at least three seconds on my 50 Fly,” he said.

Jeremiah Magera’s attraction will be the 100m Individual Medley, an event several swimmers are particularly excited about after a long absence from their competition schedules.

Magera is also targeting the event after recently setting personal bests at the Gators Invitational Gala, but wants to see how much more time can be shaved off after another three weeks of training.

For Kasujja Tryan, the Fast & Furious Gala is an opportunity to chase personal bests, medals and a place in the relays, with the 100m IM among her most anticipated events.

With 600 swimmers, 37 clubs, multiple age-group races, record incentives and prizes for the fastest competitors, the Dolphins Fast & Furious Gala 2026 promises to be one of the weekend’s biggest swimming attractions.

As the swimmers put the final touches to their preparations, all eyes will turn to Kampala Parents School, Naguru, where speed, determination and youthful talent will take centre stage.

The countdown is on. The swimmers are ready. Kampala is set for Fast & Furious.

The post Dolphins’ Fast & Furious Gala 2026 set to ignite Kampala Parents School appeared first on Kawowo Sports.

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Uganda’s young swimmers make their mark at ANOCA Zone V Youth Games in Nairobi

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Uganda’s swimming team produced a competitive showing at the ANOCA Zone V Youth Games in Nairobi, Kenya, finishing the championships with nine medals: three gold, three silver and three bronze to place second on the overall medal table behind hosts Kenya.

The swimming championships, hosted by Kenya Aquatics at Kasarani Aquatic Stadium, brought together young athletes from across the region, with Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Sudan among the teams represented. Kenya dominated the final standings with 23 medals, including 12 gold, while Uganda’s nine-medal haul underlined the country’s strong presence among the region’s emerging swimming nations.

For Uganda, the campaign was driven by a group of promising young swimmers who consistently challenged for podium positions across freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and relay events.

Arthur Mwase

One of Uganda’s standout performers was Arthur Mwase, who opened his campaign with victory in the men’s 14–17 100m freestyle.

Mwase clocked 57.06 seconds to take gold, finishing ahead of Kenya’s Tevin Waweru, who posted 57.74, and Rwanda’s ShejaKean Murenzi, who finished in 58.31.

He also featured prominently in Uganda’s relay teams. Together with Jonathan Kaweesa, Tyler Muganzi and Rahama Nakasule, Mwase helped Uganda to second place in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, with the team stopping the clock at 4:11.17, behind Kenya’s 4:04.20.

The Ugandan quartet returned to the podium in the mixed 4x100m medley relay, recording 5:03.70 for another silver medal. Mwase anchored the team, following legs by Nakasule, Kaweesa and Muganzi.

Mwase also finished fourth in the men’s 200m freestyle, clocking 2:11.69 after splitting 1:02.78 at the halfway mark.

Ezra Kalali (Coach), Jonathan Kaweesa, Arthur Mwase, Tyler Muganzi and Rahama Nakasule

Tyler Muganzi was another major contributor to Uganda’s medal success.

Muganzi won the women’s 14–17 50m butterfly in 30.62 seconds, narrowly edging Kenya’s Lisa Kamphuis, who finished in 30.70. Uganda’s Rahama Nakasule completed the podium for the Ugandan team in 30.83, giving Uganda both gold and bronze in the event.

Muganzi later added another gold medal in the women’s 100m butterfly, touching in 1:09.60. Kenya’s Nadia Vusha was second in 1:14.85, while another Kenyan competitor was disqualified.

Her performances made her one of Uganda’s most successful swimmers at the championships and highlighted the country’s strength in the butterfly events.

Jonathan Kaweesa

Jonathan Kaweesa also delivered a number of strong performances.

He finished third in the men’s 50m butterfly in 27.40 seconds, behind Kenya’s Jeremy Rieck and Andrew Ogola.

Kaweesa also claimed third place in the men’s 50m freestyle, clocking 26.05 seconds. His time came after a 24.97 seed mark, with Kenya’s Baraka Nyakundi winning in 25.29 and Isaiah Gitonga taking silver in 25.72.

He was also part of both Uganda mixed relay teams that secured silver medals, making him an important component of the team’s overall medal campaign.

Rahama Nakasule

Rahama Nakasule contributed strongly to Uganda’s medal tally, featuring in the women’s sprint and relay events.

She took bronze in the 50m butterfly in 30.83 seconds, just behind teammate Muganzi and Kenya’s Kamphuis.

Nakasule also earned silver in the women’s 50m backstroke, recording 35.30 seconds behind Kenya’s Lisa Kamphuis, who won in 33.12.

Her contribution extended to the relay events, where she was part of Uganda’s silver-medal-winning mixed 4x100m freestyle and medley quartets.

The final medal standings placed Uganda comfortably second behind hosts Kenya, with three gold, three silver and three bronze medals for nine medals overall. Rwanda finished third with six medals, all bronze, while Tanzania, Ethiopia and Sudan each collected one bronze.

The championships provided valuable exposure against swimmers from across Zone V. For Uganda’s young athletes, the experience went beyond the medals: racing in a regional multi-sport Games environment offered an opportunity to test their speed, composure and consistency against some of East Africa’s leading youth swimmers.

The post Uganda’s young swimmers make their mark at ANOCA Zone V Youth Games in Nairobi appeared first on Kawowo Sports.

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Uganda Swim Team dominates FEASSA 2026 as medals, records and depth deliver Regional Supremacy

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Uganda’s dominance at the 2026 Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) swimming championships in Morogoro, Tanzania, was a collective display of depth, consistency and versatility that saw the Uganda Swim Team finish comfortably at the top of the standings after two days of competition.

Uganda collected 51 medals, 28 gold, 16 silver and 7 bronze to finish well ahead of Kenya’s 37 medals and Tanzania’s eight. The dominance was almost perfectly balanced across the two categories, with the Ugandan men winning 22 medals and the women 27.

More significantly, Uganda accumulated 1169 team points, beating Kenya’s 1007 and Tanzania’s 550. The Ugandan women led their category with 589 points, while the men also topped the standings with 580 points.

The strongest feature of Uganda’s campaign was the number of swimmers capable of producing podium finishes. In the women’s individual rankings, Zara Marie Mbanga and Kenya’s Vekheina Leboy shared top billing on 60 points, while Uganda’s Gabriella Opolot finished third on 57 and Rahmah Nakasule Kalungi fourth on 54. Jinan Nabuyungo Nakato and Tyrah Muganzi Dorothy also featured inside the top ten with 40 points each, while Paloma Kirabo, Keyshia Karen Mwangi, Nisha Pearl Najjuma and Crystal Katelyn Tendo Ssemanda all contributed significant points.

The men’s competition was similarly strong. Ethani Ssengooba topped the individual standings with 60 points, followed by teammate Peterson Inhensiko on 57. Jonathan Kaweesa, Alex Mwine Rumanyika and Kyle Christian Kimuli Kaweesa each collected 40 points, while Shaun Murungi Kairumba and Swarkorpf Thembo Katende Kyeyune also finished among the leading Ugandan scorers.

Mbanga was one of the clearest individual standouts for Uganda. The 14-year-old opened strongly in the 200m individual medley, qualifying first in 2:33.12, which was listed as a FEASSA record, before winning the final in 2:33.64. She followed that with victory in the 100m breaststroke, winning in 1:21.04 after setting another FEASSA record of 1:19.07 in the preliminaries. Her versatility was further demonstrated in the 50m breaststroke, where she won in 36.83 after qualifying in a record 36.54.

In the 50m butterfly for swimmers aged 15 and under, Tyrah Muganzi Dorothy won gold in 29.73, with teammate Gabriella Opolot taking silver in 31.22. Muganzi later completed another victory in the 100m butterfly, winning in 1:10.37, ahead of fellow Ugandan Nakasule Kalungi. Opolot was equally influential, winning the 50m backstroke in 33.25 and the 100m backstroke in 1:13.20. Nakasule added gold in the 50m backstroke for the 16-and-over category, while Kirabo Paloma and Keyshia Karen Mwangi also secured strong finishes in the butterfly and freestyle events.

The freestyle events provided further evidence of Uganda’s depth. Jinan Nakato won the 50m freestyle in 28.83, while Ssemanda finished third. Nakato and Ssemanda then went one-two in the 100m freestyle, clocking 1:04.56 and 1:05.00 respectively.

On the men’s side, Ssengooba was the standout performer. He won the 200m individual medley in 2:20.68, matching the listed FEASSA record, before taking gold in the 100m freestyle in a record 53.83. He also won the 50m freestyle in 24.44. His performances gave Uganda a dependable source of points in the sprint and medley events, while teammates ensured the team never became overly reliant on him.

Peterson Inhensiko was another key contributor, winning the 50m backstroke in a FEASSA-record 28.32 and the 100m backstroke in 1:04.00. He also finished second behind Ssengooba in the 50m freestyle. Meanwhile, Alex Mwine Rumanyika was outstanding in butterfly. He won the 50m butterfly in a record 26.71 and followed it with victory in the 100m butterfly in 1:00.34, also a FEASSA record. Jonathan Kaweesa added another sprint title, winning the boys’ 15-and-under 50m freestyle in a record 24.96.

Uganda also won all six relay events on the programme. The girls won both the 200m medley and 200m freestyle relays, while the boys also swept their two relay events. Uganda then completed the clean sweep by winning both mixed relays.

The margins were particularly telling. Uganda’s boys’ 200m medley relay finished in 1:51.32, ahead of Kenya’s 1:53.88, while the girls’ medley team clocked 2:09.81 compared with Kenya’s 2:15.53.

The mixed 200m medley relay was even more emphatic, with Uganda finishing in 2:00.39, more than ten seconds ahead of Kenya.

The relay results underline one of the defining features of Uganda’s campaign: the swimmers were not only capable of winning individually but could combine effectively as a team.

With Uganda winning every relay, topping both the men’s and women’s team standings, producing the leading individual scorer in the men’s competition and placing several swimmers near the top of the women’s rankings, the FEASSA 2026 championship became a clear statement of regional strength.

Uganda did not merely win the championship; it controlled it across the individual races, relays, medal table and team points, a performance that reflected depth as much as star quality.

The post Uganda Swim Team dominates FEASSA 2026 as medals, records and depth deliver Regional Supremacy appeared first on Kawowo Sports.

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