With six months to go until the start of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee is refining one of its most human and transformative initiatives: taking Olympic values beyond rhetoric and turning them into concrete action. Eight IOC Young Leaders from Africa, Europe and the Americas will travel to Senegal with a mission that goes beyond competition and medals: to connect with young athletes and local communities, showing that sport can also be an everyday tool for inclusion, confidence and social change.

From the Youth Olympic Village to different areas across Dakar, these young changemakers will work on the ground with a clear purpose: to make sport a common language capable of creating spaces for dialogue, learning and belonging. Their presence at Dakar 2026 is not only about supporting athletes during the Games, but also about leaving a tangible mark on the host city, bringing Olympism closer to the daily lives of those who see sport as an opportunity to transform realities.

Sport as a bridge between youth, values and community

The Athlete365 House, located inside the Youth Olympic Village, will be one of the main meeting points for this experience. There, the IOC Young Leaders will create a space designed for athletes to pause for a moment and connect with something deeper than competition. Through simple activities, close conversations and interactive dynamics, the goal will be to show that sport does not only build champions, but also people equipped with tools to positively influence their surroundings.

Behind every interaction lies a shared belief: Olympic values are not taught only in theory, they are lived in everyday life. In this space, young athletes will explore how sport can strengthen well-being, expand access to education, promote gender equality and build stronger bonds within and beyond their communities. The message they aim to share is simple yet powerful: competing may be one goal, but transforming lives is also part of the game.

A generation that sees Olympism as action

The group arriving in Dakar brings together diverse profiles, but a shared vision of sport’s social role. From Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Egypt, to Canada, Great Britain and the Dominican Republic, the eight Young Leaders represent a generation that has turned sport into a real tool for social intervention in their communities. Their projects tackle urgent challenges such as the inclusion of people living with chronic illnesses, the empowerment of women and girls, social cohesion, the creation of safer environments and the holistic development of student-athletes.

For many of them, Dakar 2026 also carries a deeply personal meaning. The opportunity to be part of the first Olympic event ever held in Africa makes this experience a symbol of identity, belonging and legacy. In the voices of Sara Moamen Abdelsamie, Jordan Joel, Audrey Oronda and Nadine Taderera, one shared idea emerges: Dakar will not simply be a host city, but a meeting point between stories, cultures and shared aspirations. In that connection, Olympism stops being an abstract promise and becomes a living practice, built through closeness, exchange and the ability of young people to lead change.