Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S Nadine Taderera is set to write her own piece of history when she joins seven other International Olympic Committee Young Leaders from Africa, Europe and the Americas in Senegal, where they will engage directly with the competing athletes.
Based at Athlete365 House in the Youth Olympic Village, Taderera and other IOC Young Leaders will highlight how sport and the Olympic values can positively impact well-being, inclusion and education, every day and everywhere.
They will also engage with local communities across Dakar, extending the legacy and impact of the Youth Olympic Games beyond the competition venues.
The group of Young Leaders brings together a diverse range of changemakers using sport as a tool for social development in their communities and includes strong representation from Africa. Apart from Taderera, the other Young Leaders are Audrey Oronda from Kenya, Jordan Joel from Nigeria, Sara Moamen Abdelsamie of Egypt, Shereif Kholeif representing Great Britain and Egypt, Jacqueline Simoneau and Sun Min Park (both from Canada) and Rafael Valdivieso from the Dominican Republic. The games will run from October 13 to November 13 in Senegal. “Being part of Dakar 2026 means getting the opportunity to engage with people from diverse backgrounds in celebration of the power of sport,” Taderera said.
Moamen Abdelsamie weighed in, saying, “Being part of Dakar 2026 represents far more than participation; it is history in the making.
“As an African, standing on home soil of the first Olympic event ever to be held on our continent fills me with pride, purpose and deep gratitude. It is an extraordinary privilege to be part of this legacy.” For Joel, being present in Dakar carries a deeply personal meaning.
“As a Nigerian, it is an honour to contribute to the first Olympic event held in Africa. I hope to inspire young people to see how sport can be used to support communities and address important challenges. It’s more than a game,” he said.
Oronda highlighted the opportunity Dakar 2026 represents for young people.
“For me, Dakar 2026 is a moment to amplify youth voices, celebrate inclusion, and inspire long-term change across communities,” she said. At Dakar 2026, the energy of the Youth Olympic Games will go beyond competition. For the IOC Young Leaders, the moment is about people, connection and impact.
United by a shared commitment to social impact through sport, the IOC Young Leaders’ projects address key challenges aligned with the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy to build a better world through sport, including access to education, gender equality, inclusion, peace building, well-being and youth empowerment.
Their initiatives range from supporting people living with chronic conditions through sport, to empowering women and girls, strengthening community cohesion, creating safer environments and promoting the holistic development of student-athletes.
Inside Athlete365 House in the Youth Olympic Village, the IOC Young Leaders will create a space where athletes can pause, engage and reflect. Through simple, interactive moments — including games, conversations and short learning experiences — they will introduce the athletes to the ideas behind the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, showing how sport can shape lives far beyond the field of play.
Outside the Youth Olympic Village, the Young Leaders will also engage with local communities across Dakar, ensuring that the impact of the Games extends beyond the competition venues and resonates throughout the host city.
Launched in 2016, the IOC Young Leaders Programme empowers young people to leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their communities.
The programme contributes to Olympism 365, the IOC’s approach to using sport as an important enabler of sustainable development, and specifically to Olympism365’s Innovation portfolio, which aims to identify, sustain and scale innovative sports-based approaches that deliver concrete impact in targeted communities.
