Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT’S less than a month before Senegal welcomes young sporting talent for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. As the Games to be held on African soil for the first time draw closer, athletes are also stepping up their preparations.
For Zimbabwe’s triathlete Rachel O’Donoghue, it means early mornings for swimming sessions at least twice a week.
From the swimming sessions, sometimes she follows up with a track session, at least once a week for her run. Some days she is on the road for her bike sessions.
“I do two swimming sessions a day, twice a week. And then I swim every evening.
“On other days, I swim every evening. And I run track once a week with some friends, with Callum and John. And, yeah, cycle with friends,” said O’Donoghue.
O’Donoghue is one of the 12 athletes to represent Zimbabwe in Dakar.
She is the sole representative in triathlon. Zimbabwe got one slot in the female category.
For her, it’s a dream that she has held for the last few years and is content with how her build-up is going.
“I would say I have been wanting to go to YOG for two-and-a-half years now, but only really started specific training about eight months ago when I got the confirmation that I was going.
“It’s been really good. I have had some really solid training blocks leading up to YOG.
“So, I am really happy with how the training has been going and what the preparation is looking like going forward. It’s looking good,” said O’Donoghue.
For her it has been an interesting journey, with familiar faces such as Smith, Goddard and Zander Botha being part of the community rallying behind her build-up.
“My parents have been very supportive. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my mom. She is always at every training session with me, supporting me.
“I have been training with John and Callum and Zander for about a year now, which has really given me motivation to train with friends and people that push you.
“It’s so nice to have that community around you when you are racing and training,” added O’Donoghue. As part of her preparations, she had two races in Europe just over a month ago, giving her an insight and feel of racing against a larger group.
“It was really great racing against stronger girls, a bigger group of people on the bike, working with a lot more people than you would here in Africa.
“It was just an incredible experience.”I learned good lessons that I am going to take forward to YOG now.
“I would say just having that experience of racing with a big field, you just have to have those fast transitions. They say it’s the fourth discipline.”I have been super motivated to train since Europe,” said O’Donoghue.
Fellow triathlete Smith said having one of their own as part of the YOG team is an inspiration.
“Our sessions have been very challenging, I must admit.
“We have been working very hard.”Rachel is a very determined athlete and I am sure that she will produce amazing performance at YOG.
“This has helped me tremendously as obviously her determination for YOG is helping me push and we are pushing each other.
“I feel it’s a huge inspiration, not just for triathlon but for Zimbabwe triathlon as a whole. We have seen an increase in numbers come to triathlon on the Sundays.”
The Games are running from 31 October to 13 November.
