Two teenage sprinters who fled instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are preparing to represent the Refugee Olympic Team at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, marking the first time refugee athletes will compete at the event.
Florence Masumbe and Rachid Rochene, who now live in Uganda, are among six refugee athletes selected to participate in the Games, which will take place in the Senegalese capital from 31 October to 13 November.
For the two youngsters, the competition represents an opportunity to pursue their sporting ambitions while opening doors to education and a better future.
“I feel good, I feel so wonderful. You know, this was a dream since I was young. I wanted to compete with people, to see how I can also do, to also achieve medals. You know, why not also a world record,” said Rochene.
While he lives in an urban part of Uganda, Masumbe has spent much of her 16 years in the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement in a predominantly rural area of south-western Uganda.
She hopes taking part in the Games will help transform her life and inspire other young refugees to pursue their ambitions.
“I was so happy to have been selected to go to Dakar. I know if I continue with athletics, it will transform my life and I can get a good school. My family members will also have better opportunities, and even other refugee children will be inspired,” Masumbe said.
Sport as a path to opportunity
The pair's selection follows years of work by the Olympic Refuge Foundation and its partners in Uganda to use sport to support displaced people and host communities.
Their athletic talents were identified through Game Connect, a six-year initiative designed to improve mental health and wellbeing through sport.
Brandon Katura, coordinator of the initiative, said the programme had given the young athletes a renewed sense of purpose and new ambitions.
“Seven months or a year ago, they were probably running for fun, or they came out for trials just to do it as a way of passing time because they were free,” he said.
“Now you find that they are excited, they are looking forward to travelling. They are looking forward to competing with people from other countries. They want to get scholarships for school.”
The International Olympic Committee and its partners in Uganda have contributed nearly $10,000 over the past year to prepare Masumbe and Rochene for the competition, covering the work needed to help them pursue their Olympic ambitions.
Their journey highlights the challenges refugee athletes face in accessing training, education, and the resources needed to compete at international level.
A symbol of hope for refugees
The IOC has spent the past decade promoting the inclusion of displaced athletes through the Refugee Olympic Team, which has provided opportunities for those forced to flee their homes to compete on the international stage.
The participation of refugee athletes at the Youth Olympic Games extends that initiative to a younger generation.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, nearly 118 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced.
For Masumbe and Rochene, the focus is now on their performance on the track in Dakar.
But their participation also carries a broader message about the role sport can play in restoring confidence, creating opportunities, and helping young refugees imagine a future beyond displacement.