The Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 are under way in Senegal from October 31 to November 13, bringing together some 2,700 young athletes across 25 sports for the first Olympic event ever held on the African continent. As a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, Samsung Electronics is supporting the Games with Galaxy technology — from Victory Selfie and broadcast integrations to the Samsung Open Station, an experience space inside the Youth Olympic Village. Having supported the Youth Olympic Games since the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, Samsung is going beyond technology at Dakar 2026 to support young athletes’ personal growth as well. For the athletes competing at Dakar 2026, reaching the Olympic stage is the result of years of dedication. But some of the most lasting lessons come from what happens along the way — overcoming setbacks, building resilience, discovering what matters beyond results. That is why, on November 3, Samsung hosted “Beyond the Medal: Your Journey Shapes What Comes Next,” a mentoring session at the Samsung Open Station inside the Youth Olympic Village. By bringing in athletes who have walked the Olympic path before them, the session aimed to inspire pride and motivation in the next generation — and to share the spirit of openness at the heart of Samsung’s Olympic partnership. ▲ The mentoring session held at the Samsung Open Station (Copyright: IOC/ Franco Arland) Two IOC Athlete Role Models 1 — Senegalese canoe slalom Olympian Jean-Pierre Bourhis (31) and Ugandan swimmer Jamila Lunkuse (29) — joined New Zealand tennis bronze medalist Marcus Daniell (36) for a conversation with young athletes. ▲ (From left) Jean-Pierre Bourhis (Senegal, Slalom canoe), Jamila Lunkuse (Uganda, Swimming), and Marcus Daniell (New Zealand, Tennis) (Copyright: Getty Images) Moderated by Lefa Makgato , CSR Manager at Samsung Electronics Africa, the session brought the three mentors together with 28 young athletes from 12 countries to share the journeys that shaped them — and offer a guide for exploring where life beyond sport might lead. Open the Way: Finding Your Own Path Makgato opened by asking each mentor where their Olympic journey began. For Bourhis, who represented Senegal at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 and is featured in Samsung’s “ Voices of Galaxy: Paddling for the Future ,” the dream took shape in 2008, when Togo’s Benjamin Boukpeti won a bronze medal in kayaking at Beijing 2008. “As a kid, I realized an African paddler could reach the podium,” he said. “Rio 2016 showed me the way could be opened. Now my job is to keep it open for others.” ▲ Jean-Pierre Bourhis (Senegal), IOC Athlete Role Model at Samsung Mentoring Session (Copyright: IOC/ Franco Arland) Lunkuse, who made her Olympic Games debut at 15, recalled that swimming began with friendship rather than ambition. “I wasn’t thinking about medals or the Olympics,” she said. “I just enjoyed being part of something with my friends, and that’s what built my love for the sport.” Daniell, who ended New Zealand’s 109-year wait for an Olympic tennis medal at Tokyo 2020, pointed to choosing tennis over football at 14. “Because I’d given up a sport I loved, I knew I had to fully commit,” he said. Break Your Boundaries: Learning Through Challenges The conversation then turned to the biggest challenges each mentor faced. With almost no whitewater facilities in Senegal, Bourhis had to build his training base in France — while holding down a full-time job as an engineer in electric vehicle repair. “As an engineer, I see a limit as a problem to solve, not a wall,” he said. “I train before work, during lunch, or late at night. What keeps me going is purpose.” Lunkuse spoke openly about the anxiety she faced ahead of Rio 2016. “I became so focused on qualifying times that I no longer enjoyed it,” she said. “It was only when I took time away that I could see what I was going through and what help I needed — and that’s what got me to Rio 2016.” ▲ Jamila Lunkuse (Uganda), IOC